In sharp contrast to the scenes witnessed in the State on Tuesday following the pronouncement of the verdict in the disproportionate asset case involving former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala and others, about two-and-a-half-years ago, when Jayalalithaa was sent to jail in the same case by a trial court, Tamil Nadu came to a standstill and there were incidents of violence, orchestrated by her sympathisers.
On September 27, 2014, the former AIADMK supremo was sentenced to undergo four years imprisonment and was slapped with a fine of ₹100 crore by a special court in Bengaluru. Along with her, co-accused V.K. Sasikala, V. Sudhakaran and J. Elavarasi were also sentenced to four years prison with a fine of ₹10 crore each.
Even before the quantum of sentence was pronounced at 5:01 p.m., AIADMK cadre, who had flooded Bengaluru, brought traffic on the road leading to the court to a standstill and closed down the shops nearby.
After the verdict, Tamil Nadu witnessed sporadic incidents of violence as cadre and sympathisers resorted to various forms of protests. Shops, restaurants, malls and movie halls were closed down across the State. In Kancheepuram, a State-owned bus was set on fire as an angry mob hurled petrol bombs after forcing passengers to alight.
An uneasy calm prevailed in Virudhunagar, Dindigul and Theni districts. In Karaikudi, Ramanathapuram and Kanniyakumari, some protesters blocked trains. Also, in most parts of the State, life came to a standstill, as government and private transport operators ceased operations. Following this, the Centre offered help to tackle violence in the State.
Capital clashes
Despite elaborate police cover since the day before extended under the watch of Commissioner of Police S. George, Chennai witnessed sporadic violence especially after 1 p.m.
Three MTC buses were damaged in stone pelting. Suburban train services were stopped at five locations.
And, a total of 41 effigies of BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy and DMK leaders Karunanidhi and Stalin were burnt.
Goaded by wild speculations and rumours, shopkeepers downed their shutters and residents were forced to stay indoors, fearing violence. Angry cadre repeatedly targeted Mr. Swamy’s Chennai residence in Santhome.
AIADMK and DMK cadre indulged in street-fighting at Gopalapuram, where DMK leader M. Karunanidhi resides and near DMK headquarters on Anna Salai. Schools were not affected as they were shut for pooja holidays.
