Members of the Congress and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) were on Wednesday engaged in a heated exchange of words in the Assembly over the attack on former Congress legislator U. Balaraman.
(Mr. Balaraman was injured when an armed gang attacked him in his house at Tondiarpet on Tuesday. Three persons, including Vannai Sathya, PMK North-Chennai East district secretary were arrested).
C. Gnanasekaran (the Congress) referred to news reports that the attack was linked to Mr. Balaraman's role in inducting Srinivasa Gounder, PMK founder S. Ramadoss' brother, into the Congress.
He wanted to know whether those who believed in the culture of violence could be allowed a free run.G.K. Mani (PMK) said that while the party favoured action against the persons concerned, he condemned any attempt to drag his party into the incident. Mr. Gnanasekaran said only three persons had been arrested, whereas 10 were involved in the attack. K. Mahendran, Communist Party of India (Marxist), said such incidents had been happening repeatedly. When D. Jayakumar (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) said the government's rule was marked by growing incidence of crime in the city, Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin retorted that he could also cite a number of such incidents when the AIADMK was in power. In his reply, Mr. Stalin said the attack took place when Mr. Balaraman, the organiser of the Vanniya Kula Kshatriya Maha Sangam (and who represented Park Town in the Assembly during 1991-1996), was in his office on Tuesday on Thiruvottriyur High Road in Old Washermenpet. The police were on the lookout for others.
