The police on Wednesday registered a First Information Report against two DMK members for assaulting the staff at an eatery in Virugamabakkam late on Sunday after an argument broke out over biryani.
Following the incident, the two have been temporarily suspended by the party.
CCTV footage of a few youngsters throwing punches at the employees of a biryani shop in Virugambakkam went viral on Wednesday.
The eatery is owned by R. Ramalingam. On Sunday night, his brothers R. Prakash and R. Arul were manning the till.
“There were rumours doing the rounds about DMK leader M. Karunanidhi’s deteriorating health and we were closing the shop and checking accounts. It was around 10.15 p.m when Yuvaraj and Diwakar, DMK functionaries from Virugambakkam, and their aides walked into the shop. They demanded biryani,” said Mr. Prakash.
When he told them no food was available, he was ordered to close the shop.
“I told them I had to check the accounts. A few of Yuvaraj’s men pulled down one of the shutters and an argument ensued. All of a sudden, he assaulted me,” recalled Mr. Prakash.
When hotel staff Nagaraj and Karunanidhi tried to stop Yuvaraj, they too were attacked. “They came after pulling down another shutter and attacked me and other employees — Manivannan, Parthiban and Manikandan,” said Mr. Arul.
Subsequently, a police complaint was lodged. “They have been harassing us for several years,” claimed Mr. Nagaraj.
