Tense situation prevailed for most part of the day in Thuraiyur town on Monday due to repeated face-off between cadres of the DMK and AIADMK over alleged money distribution indulged in by the former.
The problem started in the morning after the AIADMK party workers lodged a complaint with the officials that money was being distributed by the DMK on the premises of a mill along Athur Road.
Even as a team that rushed to the spot carried out preliminary searches and waited for the arrival of senior Revenue Department officials and police to conduct further checks, the AIADMK cadre staged a road blockade in front of the mill expressing displeasure over delay in official response.
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Enraged over the act of the AIADMK cadre the DMK party men also threatened to block the road. However, the police who were at the scene pacified them and dissuaded them from going ahead.
Backed by a strong police force, the team of revenue officials carried out a thorough check inside and ruled out money distribution.
However, the AIADMK demanded the arrest of the aged father of the mill owner who, they complained, had used abusive language against them.
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When the police took the aged man for enquiry, the DMK cadre assembled in front of the Thuraiyur police station, accusing the police of supporting the AIADMK.
The DMK cadre, in turn, lodged a complaint against a group of AIADMK cadre, charging the latter with threatening them.
Three AIADMK men, who were in the station at that time, were detained.
In the meantime, AIADMK cadre also converged at the spot protesting the police action.
The police agreed to let off the aged man. However, the DMK cadre created a commotion assailing the delay in registering a first information report against the AIADMK cadre.
Mild lathicharge
Since a road blockage was caused by the crowd, the police had to resort to a mild lathicharge to chase away the AIADMK and DMK cadres.
Five first information reports against the cadres of both parties were registered later in the day.