Coimbatore: Rural police on Saturday arrested 148 people, including 28 women, who staged a road roko on the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam Road near Periyanaickenpalayam, condemning the Union government for closing the Government of India Press (GIP) at Press Colony.
Traffic was affected for more than 15 minutes as about 400 protesters, including cadres of CPM, VCK, DMK, Congress, CPI, DMK, CPI (ML), Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (Tpdk), Social Democratic Party of India (Sdpi), Naam Tamilar Katchi, TMC, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Mdmk), PMK and TTV Dhinakaran supporters staged the protest.
"The press has printing order for five more years. But, the Union government decided to close it and merge it with the GIP in Nashik. The staff were asked to report at the Nashik unit from January 16. While the Union government says that it decided to close the press here as there is no scope for printing technology, it is running five GIPs in the northern parts of India. BJP is taking revenge on Tamil Nadu by closing the press. The Union government is also planning to sell the 132.7 acres of land belonging to the GIP to private companies," said Tpdk general secretary Ku Ramakrishnan.
The rural police arrested 148 protesters and kept them in a marriage hall. They were let off later.
Ku Ramakrishnan said the parties will conduct a bandh in the district on January 9 against the closure of the GIP.
