Chennai: In a scathing attack on prime minister Narendra Modi over the Jallikattu issue, DMK on Friday charged that he had time to meet actors and others but not the AIADMK MPs who wanted to discuss holding the banned bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu during Pongal.
DMK working president and opposition leader MK Stalin, who pressed the Center to immediately promulgate an ordinance to hold the sport and that AIADMK should also press Center for it, said that "Tamils will not forgive" the two if such an urgent step was not taken.
Referring to the AIADMK MPs from the state petitioning prime minister on the issue, Stalin asked if they could meet Modi.
"Whom does Modi meet. Those known to him, including those from the cinema world, and immediately gives appointment to them. He has met actors including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Rajinikanth and Gautami. I am not criticizing them, for they have their own pride. But, for Modi who allots time for these actors, can't he give time to AIADMK MPs to discuss an issue of heritage importance of Tamils," he said.
Stalin, who led DMK's state-wide protests from here demanding Jallikattu be held this year, also questioned why Modi could not meet the MPs a different date if he unable to meet them earlier.
Hitting out at the ruling AIADMK, he said chief minister O Panneerslevam should have left to Delhi from Hyderabad Thursday, where he had gone for talks over the Krishna water-sharing with his Andhra counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu, after the Supreme Court declined to pass an order on Jallikattu.
The chief minister should have immediately met Modi and discussed Jallikattu, Stalin said.
Reiterating his demand for an ordinance on the matter, he said it was not new for the Center to do so, as the present ruling dispensation at the Center itself had brought 22 such ones, including for the NDA's controversial Land Acquisition Act.
"It is not too late, still a day is left for Pongal.
Center can promulgate an ordinance for the conduct of jallikattu... I humbly and rightfully ask on behalf of Tamils, bring an ordinance, else the people will not forgive Center and state government," he said.
Since the first government post independence, Center has so far promulgated over 600 ordinances on various issues, he added.
Meanwhile, several youth groups conducted Jallikattu in violation of the Supreme Court order throughout the state.