Prohibitory order has been imposed at Thiruvaikkavur village panchayat after a clash between two communities over the erection of a political party flag mast and banners two days ago.
Inquiries reveal that trouble brewed at the villages a few days ago when a group of people belonging to one community installed their party flag and put up flex banners near Manniyar river bridge in Thiruvaikkavur panchayat.
The sudden installation of the party flag mast irked another group belonging to a different community and resulted in an open discussion among the people in the panchayat. Subsequently, a group of people staged a ‘road roko’ near the Manniyar river bridge on October 17 night terming the installation of the flag mast and erection of banners as an act carried out by a section of people to disturb public harmony in the panchayat limits. They withdrew their demonstration after revenue and police officials assured them that a tripartite meeting would be convened on October 18 to sort out the issue.
Though the revenue and police officials managed to put off the issue temporarily at the tripartite meeting held on October 18 morning, a wordy duel ensued between the warring community groups at the Manniyar river bridge on the same night and culminated into a fiery fisticuffs between the men and women who had converged near the bridge.
On seeing the situation escalating into a battle, policemen posted for bandobust duty following the ‘misunderstanding’ between the two groups in the panchayat attempted to pacify the warring groups. In the process, two police personnel, Murugesan (55), sub-inspector, Kabisthalam police station, and Suguna (37), sub-inspector, Melatur police station, sustained injuries. Eight villagers were also injured in the clash, police said.
All of them were admitted in Government District Headquarters hospital at Kumbakonam. Additional police forces were rushed to Thiruvaikkavur and the entire panchayat was brought under their control.
On October 19, around 50 people, including 10 women, were arrested in connection with the clash and Section 144 of Cr.PC was promulgated by revenue officials prohibiting public gatherings at Thiruvaikkavur village panchayat. Barricades were erected on all routes leading to the villages under the panchayat to prevent entry of people from other villages, sources said.
