Cops in Tamil Nadu's Tirupur lathicharge protesters demanding shutdown of liquor shop on highway
According to eye witnesses, DSP Pandiarajan ordered lathicharge to clear the crowd of people from Samalapuram in Tirupur who were peacefully protesting for closure of a government-run TASMAC liquor shop on the highway.
In Short
- DSP Pandiarajan ordered lathicharge to disperse the crowd and regulate the traffic.
- Pandiarajan was caught on camera slapping a woman and pushing away a few others.
- Several protesters suffered injuries in this police crackdown.
Police in Tamil Nadu's Tirupur lathicharged hundreds of protesters peacefully protesting for shutdown of a liquor shop on a highway as per the Supreme Court's order. Residents of Samalapuram in Tirupur had gathered on Wednesday to protest before a government-run TASMAC (Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation) liquor outlet, stating that running such shops within 220 to 500 km of any highway was illegal after the Supreme Court ban.
The protest had been peaceful until the point Sulur MLA Kanagaraj passed by the road. They tried to block the road and plead with him to close down the liquor shop. They claimed that liquor was ruining their lives as many in their family were getting addicted to it and that it also posed several other risks.
According to eye witnesses, DSP Pandiarajan ordered lathicharge to clear the crowd after being unable to regulate the traffic that was held up. When the women protesters refused to leave the spot, he attacked them and so did his fellow cops.
Pandiarajan was caught on camera slapping a woman and pushing away a few others.
DMK, DMDK CONDEMN POLICE CRACKDOWN
Several protesters suffered injuries in this police crackdown. Many leaders, including DMK working President MK Stalin and DMDK leader Vijayakanth, have condemned the attack.
Even Kanagaraj has criticised this police crackdown and stated that he would step down as Sulur MLA if the liquor shop was not closed immediately.
Since liquor shops are run by the state-owned TASMAC in Tamil Nadu, the state government is finding it very difficult to transfer thousands of shops to suitable areas within a short period of time, which has led to such protests across the state.
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