At least 14 buses were damaged in stone pelting and traffic was disrupted in the city and in Batlagundu as Hindu Munnani (HM) and Bharatiya Janata Party cadres blocked roads on Tuesday, condemning the attack on Hindu Munnani district executive committee member Sankar Ganesh on Monday night.
About 12 buses were damaged as unidentified persons who rode two-wheelers pelted stones on government-owned buses within the city limit on Monday night. Two more buses were damaged in stone-pelting incidents at Thomaiarpuram near Dindigul and Balasamudram near Palani.
Sixty five cadres of the Munnani and the BJP were arrested on a charge of blocking road at Arthi Theatre Road junction.
Addressing the gathering, Munnani city secretary P.S. Rajendran demanded that the police should arrest the accused behind the attack immediately, failing which they would intensify the agitation. Terrorists and their activities should not be supported or encouraged, he insisted.
Threat
Earlier, a section of the cadres threatened shopkeepers at the central bus stand to down the shutters. Later, the police chased them away.
Heavy police force was deployed at the central bus stand, on Arthi Theatre Road, Sellandi Amman Temple Street and in Begampur. Police force from Theni was also deployed to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, the HM cadres also blocked Theni-Batlagundu Main Road. Traffic was disrupted for some time.
Later, the police arrested them and cases were registered in this connection.
An unidentified gang had attacked Mr. Sankar Ganesh with lethal weapons near Head Post Office on Monday night.
Police sources said he was talking to the owner of a shop when a four-member gang suddenly entered into the shop and started attacking him with lethal weapons.
The shop owner downed the shutter to escape the attack and the local people rushed Mr. Sankar Ganesh to Dindigul Government Hospital. After preliminary treatment at the hospital, he was shifted to a private speciality hospital in Madurai.
