A new video which has gone viral on social media allegedly shows police in Tamil Nadu setting fire to an auto during the clashes between them and pro-jallikattu protestors in Chennai on Monday. In the video, a police officer is shown repeatedly throwing blazing debris onto an auto, which then catches fire.
Tamil actor-cum-director Kamal Hasaan on Tuesday expressed shock at the video. At a press conference, Hasaan said he hoped officials would provide a “reasonable explanation” for the video. “This could scare the common man,” Hasaan said, according to NDTV. “He could become a victim of arson at any time...I only hope they are not real policemen.”
The violence started after the Chennai Police attempted to evict pro-jallikattu protestors who had gathered at the city’s Marina Beach early last week. Police reportedly used force to disperse the agitators, though a state minister denied the charge. A massive number of officers were deployed at the beach and traffic routes leading to the beach were blocked to prevent more agitators from joining.
Bowing to public pressure, the central and state governments had passed a Bill on Monday, revoking the ban on holding jallikattu for six months.
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