The DMK has evidence to prove the corruption charges against Minister for Municipal Administration S.P. Velumani, party youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin said here on Tuesday.
Leading his party’s demonstration over the arrest of DMK cadres for tearing up posters the allegedly denigrated DMK president M.K. Stalin, Mr. Udhayandhi condemned Mr. Velumani, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and the Coimbatore city police for the action against his party cadres.
He alleged corruption in many projects undertaken by Coimbatore Corporation such as the Smart Cities Mission, and in entering into a contract with Suez India for water supply.
On the posters that were torn, Mr. Udhayanidhi warned that the DMK workers too will stick such posters against the AIADMK. The demonstration by his party was held despite resistance from the police as the cadres “do not fear arrest,” he said.
“Tamil Nadu has been letting go of its rights one after the other,” Mr. Udhayanidhi alleged, highlighting issues such as the delay in the implementation of the 7.5% horizontal reservation for students from government schools in the undergraduate medical admissions and Anna University seeking Institute of Eminence status from the Central government.
Singanallur MLA and Coimbatore urban east unit in-charge N. Karthik and other DMK functionaries from Coimbatore district were with Mr. Udhayanidhi during the demonstration.
Distancing norms flouted
During the demonstration, the DMK cadres flouted the physical distancing norm that is stressed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to police sources, nearly 1,500 cadres, including 200 women, participated in the demonstration. Coimbatore city police deployed nearly 200 personnel to monitor the situation during the demonstration on Huzur Road.
Booked for violation
Race Course Police registered a case against Mr. Udhayanidhi, Mr. Karthik, Pollachi MP K. Shanmugasundaram and six other party functionaries on charges of staging a demonstration in violation of prohibitory orders.
The others who were booked were party urban west unit in-charge R. Krishnan alias Paiya Gounder, district east unit in-charge S. Senathipathi, district north unit in-charge C.R. Ramachandran, district south unit in-charge ‘Thendral’ Selvaraj, youth wing deputy secretary Kottai Abbas and district youth wing leader Pynthamil Pari.
They were booked under Sections 143 (Punishment for unlawful assembly), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 505(1)(b) (Statements conducing public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the sources said.
The police also registered a separate case against seven leaders (excluding Mr. Udhayanidhi and Mr.Pari) under IPC sections 143, 341, 269 and 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) along with the Section 4 (Penalty for disfigurement by objectionable advertisements) of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.
