Shops remain closed, buses ply as usual

April 25, 2017 06:38 pm | Updated 06:38 pm IST

: The State-wide bandh, sponsored by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a few political parties, affected normal life in the district more than 80% of the shops remained closed on Tuesday though the buses were plying as usual.

In a show of solidarity with the farmers who protested in New Delhi for more than 40 days and demanding waiver of crop loans given by nationalised banks and permanent solutions for other issues strangulating the farming community, the DMK, the Opposition party, had called for a state-wide bandh on Tuesday. While the buses were operated as usual with small number of passengers, more than 80% of the shops in the district had been closed as the traders’ bodies had extended support to the protest.

More than 75% of the lorries and 50% of the autos were off the road.

In the road roko organised near Palayamkottai bus-stand, the police arrested MLA T.P.M. Mohideen Khan and 43 others while Tirunelveli MLA A.L.S. Lakshmanan courted arrest along with 371 others including eleven women in the similar protest conducted at Tirunelveli Junction. Alangulam MLA Poongothai Aladi Aruna was detained in the agitation conducted near Alangulam bus-stand.

In rural Tirunelveli, police arrested 1,472 protestors including 44 women in the protests organised at 28 places across the district. Police arrested former Speaker R. Avudaiyappan, former Radhapuram MLA M. Appavu and others in the agitation held at Valliyoor while former Rajya Sabha MP Thangavelu was detained at Sankarankovil along with other protestors.

Cadres of Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian Union Muslim League, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Samaththuva Makkal Kazhagam and Aathi Thamizhar Katchi participated in the road roko along with DMK functionaries.

In Kanniyakumari district, the police arrested 610 protestors including 66 women following the road roko organised at ten places across the district on Tuesday.

MLAs Austin, N. Suresh Rajan, former MP Helen Davidson and a few others were arrested in the agitation organised at Vadaserry.

When Congress cadre Thavasimuthu tried to squat on the railway track at Kottar Railway Station, he was arrested by the police.

Normal life was partially hit as most of the shops remained closed in Kanniyakumari district. However, the buses were operated as usual.

(OUR PHOTOGRAPHER HAS SENT A PIX FOR THIS STORY)

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