Virudhunagar
Caustic remarks made by Minister for Dairy Development, K.T. Rajenthra Bhalaji, against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders on Sunday led to a series of tense moments in various parts of the district with cadre of both the rival Dravidian parties taking to streets to burn effigies on Monday.
Police had to resort to lathicharge in Rajapalayam when cadre of both the parties pelted stones at each other. A few cadre on both sides who were injured in the incident got treated at the Government Hospital in Rajapalayam.
When over 100 cadre of the DMK, led by the party MLA, S. Thangapandian, and Tenkasi MP, Dhanush M. Kumar, tried to burn an effigy, the ruling party cadre objected to it.
This snowballed and end up in stone pelting. Police personnel, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, M. Nagasankar, chased them away with mild force.
DMK north district secretary Thangam Thennarasu said that his party cadre were agitated over the “indecent” remarks by the Minister.
“He has made it a practice to make such indecent comments and there was a spontaneous reaction by the DMK cadre across the district,” he added. Mr. Thennarasu said that Mr. Bhalaji was deliberately repeating this to incite law and order problem.
However, Mr. Bhalaji said that he was only retaliating for the derogatory comments made by DMK leader A. Raja against Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Effigy and portraits of leaders from rival parties were burnt and at various towns.
The police arrested hundreds of cadre of both the parties and released them later.
