While liquor consumers were in high spirits owing to the reopening of Tasmac outlets, the Opposition parties and the public across the western region condemned it, and called it an unwise decision that would only defeat the efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In Coimbatore, Singanallur MLA N. Karthik and four party functionaries staged a protest in front of his house at Anna Nagar near Peelamedu as part of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s State-wide agitation against the reopening of the Tasmac outlets.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee working president Mayura Jayakumar staged a similar protest in front of his house near Ramanathapuram.
Demanding the closure of the outlets, Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Arjun Sampath sought the intervention of the Madras High Court in the issue. The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi staged protests at various places. Women assembled in places like Pudur near Thodamuthur seeking the closure of the outlets. Members of Tamilnadu Ilangyar Katchi held placards near a Tasmac outlet on Siddhapudur Road and demanded its closure
In Tiruppur, a group of children from Palladam submitted a petition against the reopening of the outlets. Five boys and three girls-- aged five to 12 -- petitioned Palladam Tahsildar D. Sivasubramanian to disallow the reopening of the outlets, and termed the government’s decision “disappointing”
Tiruppur MP K. Subbarayan took part in a ‘black shirt’ protest announced by the DMK. He also hung a placard around his neck and sat at the office of his party, the Communist Party of India, on Tiruppur-Uthukuli Road.
In Salem, the functionaries and cadres of various Opposition parties wore black shirts and held placards outside their houses to condemn the reopening of the outlets. District secretary of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam A. Ramamoorthy condemned the State government’s move.
In Erode, the DMK and its allies staged a black flag protest. Erode South District DMK secretary S. Muthusamy, Erode District Congress Committee (South) president Makkal. G. Rajan, and the Communist Party of India cadre staged protests in various parts of the district.
Four persons, including two women, of SSP Nagar in Villarasampatti were arrested by the police late on Wednesday for allegedly threatening to organise a protest against the reopening of the outlets.