The Tamil Nadu police is in the eye of a storm after a video purportedly showing a group of policemen indulging in arson has gone viral on social media.
The video, that shows police personnel torching auto rickshaws parked on the streets, came on a day when the pro-jallikattu protests, which remained peaceful for five days, took a violent turn after police forcefully tried to evict the protestors from various sites including Chennai's Marina beach.
Actor Kamal Haasan said today that a series of videos uploaded on social media that show policemen indulging in arson in Tamil Nadu has left him "shocked".
However, the authenticity of the video is yet to be verified. The video has been tweeted by Kamal Haasan and other celebrities like actor Arvind Swamy.
"I hope some sort of reasonable explanation is given to us which will calm us down," said Kamal Haasan at a press conference today in Chennai.
"The double standards is what we are questioning," said the 62-year-old actor, referring to the videos that show a policeman setting an auto on fire and hitting women with sticks.
"I hope they are actors and not originals," he said of the uniformed men in violent action.
Meanwhile, Chennai city police commissioner S George refuted the charges stating that the video "appears to be morphed".
"It is ridiculous to blame the police. We have given the video footage to our cybercrime wing for analysis," he said.
Police say senior officers conducted various rounds of talks with the agitators before they were forced to use "mild force" to remove them from the location.
The state government on Saturday promulgated an ordinance valid for six months -allowing the bull taming sport to be held this year.
However, the protestors are demanding a permanent solution.
The police, initially, requested the protesters to disperse in a peaceful manner as "that their purpose has been fully achieved" since the state government promulgated an ordinance on Saturday.
The sport was organised in several parts of the state,even though locals in Madurai's Alanganallur, where Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was expected to inaugurate the event, refused to hold the sport.
Police on Sunday said two persons were killed when they were gored by a bull during jallikattu at Rapoosal in which several bulls were used and many sportsmen took part.
