The Hindu : Breakdown of law and order: DMK

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Breakdown of law and order: DMK

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI Aug. 9. Condemning the police action against DMK volunteers, who organised a gruel centre in Madurai, the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, said it was indicative of the breakdown of law and order in the State.

In a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi said the incident was a continuation of the one year of vindictive action by the Jayalalithaa Government against Opposition parties. The police who chased away the DMK volunteers from the centre had facilitated the biryani feast organised by the AIADMK, he said.

The DMK's administrative council will meet to discuss the "oppressive" measures of the Government, he added.

The DMK general secretary, K. Anbazhagan, claimed that the police violence was instigated by the AIADMK. After granting permission to the DMK to open the gruel centre, the police had allowed the AIADMK too to organise a biryani feast near the centre. They then chased away the DMK volunteers, he said.

Apart from arresting those at the venue of the centre, the police took into custody those who protested against the violence by blocking roads.

At Dindigul, the former Chennai Mayor and party youth wing leader, M.K. Stalin, who was scheduled to participate in the inauguration of the gruel centre, described the violence as a planned attempt to disrupt law and order. Rowdies and AIADMK partymen attacked DMK functionaries and leaders indiscriminately and the police gave them protection.

``I strongly believe that the assault has been executed as per instructions from the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa,'' he said.

Minute-to-minute instructions from Chennai were the main reason for assault and revolt. The Madurai DMK unit had obtained permission five days in advance from the police to set up the gruel centre in Madurai and he was asked to inaugurate it. But the AIADMK was given permission only the previous day. Asked why he had not attended the inauguration of the gruel centre as scheduled, he said his participation would have affected the poverty-stricken weavers.

15 days judicial custody

In Madurai, a judicial magistrate court remanded all the 100 DMK cadres, including four women, who were arrested this morning, to 15 days judicial custody.

They were charged under nine sections of the IPC, including `attempt to murder'. The Judicial Magistrate-II, S. Jeganathan, remanded them till August 23.

While the women have been sent to Tiruchi, 96 persons were lodged in the Madurai Central jail.

Five persons, including the former Minister T. Kiruttinan, and party functionaries, M. Ochchu Balu, Saleem, Dharmalingam and Ramamoorthy, who sustained injuries, were admitted to a private hospital.

Mr. Stalin met the party functionaries undergoing treatment at the hospital in the evening.

He said he had decided to participate in the function only after the police assured that the biryani function organised by the AIADMK in the nearby area would be allowed after his departure from the venue.

``However, I was warned by my party members not to go there, as violence had erupted,'' he said.

The PMK founder, S. Ramadoss, condemned the violence. Opening of gruel centres by the DMK to feed the poverty-stricken weavers was not an ``illegal activity,'' he said and urged all political parties to condemn the violence by the ruling party and the police.

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