The anti-liquor movement in the State turned violent with protesters venting their ire by burning three liquor shops in western districts.
In Chennai, a crowd of youngsters ransacked a Tasmac liquor shop at noon, only to be rounded up by police in the middle of a busy thoroughfare.
With visuals beamed on television of police getting tough with protesters, which included women, the ruling AIADMK government, fearing loss of face on such a burning issue went into a fire-fighting mode.
On Monday morning, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa convened a high-level meeting at the Secretariat on the law and order situation in the State. On the death of Gandhian Sasi Perumal, the State government has remained silent.
On Monday, Minister for Prohibition and Excise Natham R. Viswanathan issued a statement blaming the Opposition for instigating protests with an eye on polls.
The protests that began peacefully are slowing turning violent.
In Salem, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, Tasmac shops were broken into and set on fire in the middle of night, resulting in loss of stock worth lakhs of rupees.
Activist’s family unrelenting The family of Sasi Perumal refused to accept his body, demanding the closure of Tasmac shops located near educational institutions and places of worship at least in two districts – Salem, his native place and Kanyakumari, where he died fighting for the closure of a liquor shop.
Vaiko booked Meanwhile, the police booked MDMK general secretary Vaiko and 51 others on charges of attempt to murder and for violent incidents in his native place Kalingapatti.
Despite the tough posture of the government, the Opposition is unrelenting. The MDMK and the VCK have called a State-wide bandh for Tuesday, but the response from other political parties has been lukewarm.
For his part, DMK president M. Karunanidhi, has announced protest demonstrations in all district headquarters on August 10.
