The police arrested about 300 members of various political parties and organisations in Thanjavur district when they tried to stop trains demanding that India should not take part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Sri Lanka.
At Thanjavur, the cadres of MDMK, led by Durai Balakrishnan, State deputy general secretary, and G. Udhayakumar, district secretary, were arrested by the police near the railway station.
Cadre of Thamizhar Vaazhvurimai Katchi and Thamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Katchi and advocates of Thanjavur were arrested at the railway station. Arrests were made in Kumbakonam also. Cadre of India Jananayaka Katchi (IJK) and Thamizh Desa Poduvudamai Katchi were arrested when they tried to picket head post office at Thanjavur. Some shops remained closed in old bus stand, Keelavasal, and Gandhiji Road in the town.
In Tiruvarur, 131 persons belonging to Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Tamil Nadu Makkal Katchi were arrested when they stopped trains at Tiruvarur and Needamangalam.
Karur: A host of organisations and political formations across the district raised their voices against India’s participation at CHOGM.
At Velliyanai Railway Station, members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and VCK resorted to rail roko and 25 of them were taken into custody. Cadres of the Tamilaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi attempted rail roko at Karur Junction and 30 of them, including seven women, were arrested. The police picked up 101 cadres belonging to the MDMK and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi when they attempted to stage a rail roko in batches. MDMK district secretary Bharani K. Mani led the protests. A total of 26 cadres of the SDPI led by Pallappatti town secretary Sheikh Fareed attempted a rail roko and were rounded up. The CPI (M-L) staged a demonstration in front of the Taluk Office. In Kulithalai, the MDMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi, and Tamil Nadu Students Federation attempted to stage a “rail roko” at Kulithalai station and the police arrested 78 of them.
Pudukottai: In Pudukottai, vegetable traders downed shutters on the East third and East Fourth Main streets. The police prevented attempt to picket trains by various groups.
Cadre of MDMK, led by Chandrasekaran, district secretary, attempted to picket the trains at Pudukottai and Keeranur. They were arrested. The cadre of Naam Tamizhar Katchi who came in a procession asking the traders to down shutters were arrested near the Old bus stand.
Nagapattinam: Ninety six cadre of MDMK and TMMK were secured by the police for attempting to block the Ernakulam–Karaikal Express outside the Nagapattinam Railway Station on Tuesday. In another incident, the police arrested 45 cadre of SDPI for attempting to block trains in the evening.
Ariyalur: Over 100 MDMK and Tamizhar Vaazhvurimai Katchi cadre were arrested when they attempted to block the trains in Ariyalur station in two separate incidents. A majority of the shops remained closed in Ariyalur, Andimadam, and Senthurai.
Perambalur: A total of 27 MDMK, VCK, and Periyar DK were arrested when they staged “road roko” agitations in Perambalur. The cadres of IJK and SDPI staged a demonstration near Gandhi statue.
