Udhayanidhi’s arrest: DMK and TVK cadres protest in central districts
Tension prevailed in several parts of central districts on Tuesday as DMK cadres staged protests condemning the arrest of their party youth wing leader Udhayanidhi
Tension prevailed in several parts of central districts on Tuesday as DMK cadres staged protests condemning the arrest of their party youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin. Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, during a protest in Tiruchi, alleged that the TVK government had arrested Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin out of fear that he would raise questions regarding the Mekedatu issue during tomorrow’s Assembly session. He termed the arrest politically motivated and accused the government of attempting to silence the Opposition. In Tiruchi, a large number of DMK cadres, led by Mayor M. Anbazhagan, gathered near the Central Bus Stand and raised slogans condemning Udhayanidhi’s arrest. Police detained around 100 party workers. Protests spread to other districts, including Pudukottai, where DMK members staged a road roko, disrupting vehicular traffic.
Cadres of DMK gathered near the Thanjavur Railway Junction on Gandhiji Road, Thanjavur, on Tuesday and staged a demonstration condemning the arrest of Mr Udhayanidhi Stalin. Terming the arrested as politically motivated, they raised slogans demanding immediate release of their leader. Initially, the party office-bearers asked the cadres to assemble near the recently installed former DMK president and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s statue abutting the Ayyasamy Vandaiyar Memorial Municipal Bus Stand (the Old Bus Stand, Thanjavur) to stage the protest demonstration. However, they changed their demonstration venue to Thanjavur Railway Junction corner on Gandhiji Road after the police made it clear to them that they could not assemble near the Old Bus Stand since the TVK cadres have already assembled near the Panagal Building on Anna Salai, in the vicinity of the Old Bus Stand, to stage a demonstration demanding the arrest of Mr.Udhayanidhi.
Meanwhile, police pickets were posted at and around the Thanjavur Combined Court Complex near the Ramanathan Hospital Roundabout. Movement of vehicles and public were regulated by the police at this junction as the police anticipated gathering of political party cadres in large numbers which might lead to untoward incidents. Earlier, TVK cadres demonstrated in front of the Tiruchi District Collectorate demanding the arrest of Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin over his alleged derogatory remarks against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. TVK cadres, including a sizeable number of women, gathered on Anna Salai, Thanjavur (where the DMK’s demonstration against the TVK-led Tamil Nadu government was held on August 3) demanding the arrest of DMK leader alleging that he made derogatory remarks about the Chief Minister during his address at the demonstration held to condemn the Tamil Nadu government for its handling of Cauvery issue.
The BriefWire