Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Strategy to fight Govt. repression soon: Veerasamy

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDALORE APRIL 11. The former Minister and DMK treasurer, Arcot N. Veerasamy, today said leaders of the Opposition parties would soon evolve a strategy to "resist the State Government's repressive measures."

Soon after meeting Mr. Stalin and three MLAs — K. Ponmudi, J. Anbazhagan and S.A.M. Hussain — in the Central prison here, Mr. Veerasamy told presspersons that the AIADMK had violated the democratic norms and traditions of the Assembly while dealing with the Opposition.

On the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa's remark in the Assembly yesterday that she had asked the police to allow the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, to visit the detained Opposition MLAs at a Chennai police station and "safely" leave him back in his house, he said such statements only showed that the ruling party had not acted with ``a proper decorum.''

Mr. Karunanidhi, who met the leaders of the CPI, CPI(M), the PMK and the Congress in the station, discussed with them the political situation in the wake of the arrest of the Opposition MLAs, Mr. Veerasamy said. The DMK chief had already indicated that leaders of the Opposition parties would meet soon to decide on putting up a united fight against the Government, he said.

On the possibility of raising any point of order in the Assembly over the ``derogatory'' remarks against Mr. Karunanidhi, he said Opposition MLAs invariably had not been allowed to put forth their views in the House but were only asked to present them in the Speaker's chamber.

Mr. Stalin's family members and some of his relatives also called on him in the prison today.

Meanwhile, the protests over the arrest of Mr. Stalin and other DMK MLAs took a violent turn in Kurinjipadi as around 140 activists led by the former Minister and local MLA, M.R.K. Panneerselvam, were arrested for organising a road roko, besides forcing shops in the area to down their shutters. The DMK activists also stoned a bus. Some activists were injured as the police resorted to a lathicharge.

The district DMK students' wing secretary, K. Vanchinathan, and three others were arrested as they attempted to commit self-immolation near their party office on Bharathi Road. Self-immolation bid by DMK men was thwarted in some other places including Nellikuppam and Pattampakkam.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Walkout to protest CM offensive
• Warning to media
• IT-enabled services policy this year
• Ponnusamy found guilty, but his election stays
• We are not allowed to discuss issues: Congress
• Weavers hard hit by Cenvat
• Strategy to fight Govt. repression soon: Veerasamy
• A better-looking Ooty Lake awaits tourists this summer
• HC admits habeas corpus plea to free DMK MLAs
• Annadhanam in 18 more temples
• Not many in TN read newspapers: Jayalalithaa
• CM statement on police station visit callous: Vaiko
• Protests continue, over 2,500 held

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu