The inner squabbles in the Tiruchi unit of the ruling DMK came to the fore on Wednesday after supporters of Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi N. Siva waved black flags at Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru, triggering a retaliatory attack by his loyalists.
Office-bearers owing allegiance to the Minister barged into a police station to assault supporters of the MP, who were taken there for showing the black flags.
The trigger
Trouble began when Mr. Siva’s supporters waved black flags at Mr. Nehru when he arrived to open a badminton court built under Namakku Naame Thittam at SBI Officers’ Colony. Mr. Siva’s supporters were upset that he was not invited to the function.
They intercepted Mr. Nehru’s convoy that included cars of Tiruchi Collector M. Pradeep Kumar, Corporation Commissioner R. Vaithinathan and Mayor M. Anbazhagan and waved black flags. Police escorts swung into action and removed the protesters. Mr. Nehru thereafter proceeded to the venue and went ahead with the function.
The car, two motorbikes and ornamental lights at the MP’s house were vandalised by supporters of Minister Nehru on March 15, 2023 | Photo Credit: C. Jaisankar
Soon after the function, Mr. Nehru’s supporters pelted stones at Mr. Siva’s house and damaged a car and two motorbikes parked in the portico. Mr. Nehru’s supporters smashed the windscreen of the car and some ornamental lights outside the house. Mr. Siva’s supporters escaped unhurt by locking themselves inside the house. Mr. Siva was not present when the incident occurred.
Police personnel present at the spot brought the situation under control and detained four persons on the charge of waving black flags at the Minister. They were taken to the nearby Sessions Court Police Station.
Policewoman injured
Thereafter, some of the supporters of Mr. Nehru barged into the police station and attacked six of Mr. Siva’s supporters. Mr. Nehru’s supporters, including Khajamalai Vijay and T. Muthuselvam, reportedly pushed aside a policewoman, who was trying to prevent their forcible entry, and attacked Mr. Siva’s supporters with chairs and other objects. They then fled the scene. Shanthi, the policewoman, has been admitted to a hospital with injuries.
Acting on a complaint from the sub-inspector of the station, a case has been registered under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 447 (criminal trespass), 294 (b) (uttering obscene words), 323 (causing hurt), 353 (deterring public servant from discharging duty) and a few other sections of the Indian Penal Code against Khajamalai Vijay, T. Muthuselvam, and V. Ramadoss, all councillors of the Tiruchi Corporation, and a few others.
Arrests
Five persons, including Khajamalai Vijay, Muthuselvam, Tirupathi, Ramadoss and S. Durairaj, treasurer, DMK Tiruchi Central District, have been arrested. Both sides have filed complaints against each other.
Party’s action
Later in the day, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan said in a statement that Khajamalai Vijay, Muthuselvam, Ramadoss, and S. Durairaj were suspended from the primary membership of the DMK for bringing disrepute to the party. All the arrested and suspended persons were supporters of Mr. Nehru.
