The girl, Priyadarshini from Perumal Kovil Street suffered an injury to her nose and doctors have recommended plastic surgery. “I was driving slowly with my two children through Dadagapatti, where DMK flag poles were erected along the way. Suddenly, a flagpole held by a worker hit my daughter on her face,” said the girl’s mother Vijaya to reporters.

She said that the worker initially claimed that “I was the one who rammed into the flagpole. But, after I broke into an argument, he accepted his mistake. My daughter was first taken to a nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) and then to a private hospital. The doctors informed us that the injury is too deep and recommended plastic surgery on her nose.”

The incident happened around 9 am and the flagpoles were erected in view of Chief Minister MK Stalin’s likely visit to Salem on December 11 to distribute welfare aid. The arrangements for his visit were done by Minister for Municipal Administration KN Nehru. The Annathanapatti police are inquiring.

In 2019, a 31-year-old woman, who tried to dodge a falling AIADMK flagpole in Coimbatore lost her legs.