Had former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa been alive, said more than one commentator during the recent massive protests against the ban on the bull-taming sport jallikattu, and the violence that came with it on Monday, things would have been handled differently. The state would not have seen such protests, or violence, said more than one political analyst.

Thousands gathered on the Marina beach, and other parts of the state, last week demanding a law to lift the Supreme Court-imposed ban on jallikattu. While the law was indeed passed, the protests saw widespread violence after the police chose to crackdown on protestors on Monday.