midst mounting tension, protesting residents of Kalingapatti, native village of MDMK leader Vaiko, ransacked a Tasmac liquor shop. To quell the protest, the police resorted to lathi-charge and fired ten rounds of tear gas.
The protest started on Saturday when the villagers, led by Mr. Vaiko’s brother and panchayat president V. Ravichandran and his 94-year-old mother Mariammal Vaiyapuri, tried to lock the liquor shop in Main Bazaar.
When the police tried to arrest a few protesters, the agitators blocked the roads. The agitation continued till Mr. Vaiko reached the village around 9 p.m. The protest came to an end at 10 p.m. after he appealed to the villagers to assemble again on Sunday to lay siege to the liquor shop.
Mr. Vaiko told The Hindu that the liquor shop was functioning despite the panchayat passing a resolution for its closure. On Sunday, MDMK cadre and villagers gathered in large numbers at his ancestral house. When the agitation started around 3.30 p.m., Mr. Vaiko addressed the protesters for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, a section of protesters entered the liquor shop and threw the cartons containing bottles on the road.
A few police personnel, who tried to protect the liquor shop, were injured in stone pelting. When the lathi-charge proved futile, the police fired ten rounds of tear gas.
VCK chief joins Vaiko
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder Thol. Thirumavalavan, who had come to Tirunelveli to open a party office, met the MDMK general secretary at the protest venue to express his solidarity.
Both Mr. Vaiko and Mr. Thirumavalavan warned that if police personnel were not withdrawn they would mobilise more cadre. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, S. Murugan, who reached the spot at 6.10 p.m., agreed to withdraw the police force after a brief discussion with Mr. Vaiko. “Protests will continue till the Tasmac shop is closed,” Mr. Vaiko said.
Vaiko says the shop was functioning despite a panchayat resolution seeking its closure
