DMK holds protest against Tamil Nadu Governer Banwarilal Purohit, demands his resignation

CHENNAI: Accusing Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit of 'dreaming' to run the government through the back door, DMK staged a protest here today demanding his resignation and said the party would intensify the stir if he continued to hold a review meeting in districts.

A day after DMK cadres were arrested and remanded to judicial custody in Namakkal for their black flag protest against Purohit's visit, party working president M K Stalin today held a "siege Raj Bhavan," stir here, in which a large number of his party workers participated.

Charging Purohit with interfering in the "State's rights" DMK working president M K Stalin said the party would no more tolerate it.

Hitting out at Purohit for "continuously holding review meetings in every district like a Chief Minister," Stalin, also the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, said, "if you want to become Chief Minister you change the AIADMK leadership and sit as Chief Minister we are ready to face you."

"If Purhoit continued such meetings, DMK would intensify the protests," he said, adding that it would be a 'suspense' when they would do so, though police had now released them after a brief detention. Ever since he assumed office last year, Purohit has been touring districts and faced flak from the principal opposition party DMK, which alleged he was holding review meetings 'like an elected Chief Minister.

Purohit, who has defended his visits and interactions with officials had, however, said on April 17 that 'review' was a word invented by the media and he had not held such meetings.

He said his discussions were general in nature with officials and it was to get to know about the districts.

Opposing jailing his party cadres for protesting against Purohit, Stalin told reporters that displaying black flags was an accepted form of protest in a democracy.

He pointed out that a similar protest was held by DMK recently when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the city in the past and even then, there were no arrests.

Alleging that DMK cadres were arrested yesterday on the direction of Purohit, he said he found it amusing.

The DMK leader said, he, however, was not "appealing" for the release of his party cadres.

A senior Namakkal District Police official told PTI that Section 124 of the IPC, which provides punishment up to seven years for assaulting the President or Governor, has been invoked against the remanded 193 DMK cadres.

"Black flags attached to poles were flung at the Governor's convoy when he visited the Namakkal yesterday. The protest was held on the route taken by the Governor even after permission was denied. All the DMK cadres have been lodged in the Salem Central Prison," he said.

Sections under IPC covering unlawful assembly and violation of police order, denying nod for the protest, have also been slapped against them.