Proper planning and precautionary steps could have averted violence and police firing leading to the loss of six lives and injuries to 75 persons at Paramakudi, said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi on Monday.
In a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi said that the incidents at Paramakudi and Madurai were sequel to the arrest of Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam president John Pandian. The loss of lives could have been avoided had the State foreseen the consequences of the arrest. The government should ensure that such violent incidents did not recur.
Expressing shock over the killing of six people in police firing, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.V. Thangkabalu said that the police should have respected the sentiments of people paying tributes to their leader.
It was natural that participants in such rallies would be emotionally surcharged. The police should have created a congenial climate without placing any hurdles.
Saying that the violence in Paramakudi was a direct result of the arrest of Mr. Pandian, the TNCC president asked the police to be pre-emptive in future.
Terming the police firing and loss of lives unfortunate, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State president Pon. Radhakrishnan said that the government had the responsibility of preventing the incident from snowballing into a communal clash. The police should follow the right approach while handling huge crowds. It had become a habit for anti-social elements to unleash violence even at peaceful gatherings, he said.
