Chennai, Dec 1 (UNI) Tension prevailed in the city's southern suburbs as scores of PMK cadres stoned trains and blocked roads and buses, after they were denied entry into Chennai city citing COVID-19 pandemic to take part in an agitation demanding 20 per cent reservation for Vanniyars
in government jobs and higher education.
Reports received here said more that 2,000 PMK workers were arrested for staging road and rail roko agitations and for pelting stones at trains and buses.
As a large number PMK cadres from various parts of the state, including Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Villupuram and other districts came in various modes of transports, including buses and vans to
take part in the agitation, a large number of police personnel were deployed at the suburban Perungalathur.
As they tried to enter the city to take part in the agitation to be presided by PMK Youth wing leader
and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, police conducted intense vehicle checks and stopped them citing the pandemic.
As police personnel stopped vehicles with PMK flags, the PMK cadres created ruckus. They hapzhardly parked their vehicles, indulged in heated arguments and also blocked roads on both sides of the arterial GST road to register their protest.
This led to massive pile up of vehicles to a distance of more than four to five km at Perungalathur, the entry point to the city, and Tambaram.
They also shouted slogans denouncing the police and indulged in stone throwing following which police used mild force to disperse them.
Not heeding to the repeated requests of the police to disperse, the unrelenting PMK cadres put up
barricades like rocks, sand bags and concrete slabs on the arterial road as traffic on the stretch came to a grinding halt for more than two hours.
Later, they moved to the Perungalathur railway station and pelted stones at Ananthapuri express coming to Chennai from Trivandrum and Rameswaram-Chennai express between Vandalur and Perungalathur stations and suburban EMU trains heading to Chengalpattu via Tambaram from
Chennai Beach.
They also squatted on the railway tracks and blocked the trains.
Southern Railway sources said the protesters threw stones at the Ananthapuri Express. The driver halted to prevent any damage to the train and injuries to passengers. After the police cleared the protesters from the track, the train proceeded towards Chennai Egmore after some delay.
As they tried to board the trains to reach the city, EMU train services from Tambaram were stopped for more than half an hour.
Senior police officials held talks with the agitating PMK workers and advised the to follow the coronavirus protocols like wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing after which they dispersed.
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