NEWS
ANALYSIS
SPECIALS
INTERVIEW
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
CONSTITUENCY
ISSUES
GALLERY
MANIFESTOS
INDIA SPEAKS!
COUNTDOWN
CHAT
PREVIOUS RESULTS
SCHEDULE
DISCUSSION GROUP

Dalits, Vanniyars clash as post-poll violence grips TN town

Sporadic clashes between Dalits and Vanniyars and road blockades continued for the third day today near Chidambaram, in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, where polling was held during the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Sunday last.

According to reports, the police fired in the air at two places to disperse clashing groups. Further details were awaited.

The reports said the rival groups resorted to road blockade demanding protection, at several places on the Chidambaram-Cuddalore and Chidambaram-Kumbakonam highways, disrupting vehicular traffic from time to time. Extensive security arrangements were made in the Sethiathope area between Chidambaram and Kumbakonam which had witnessed clashes and police firing yesterday.

Meanwhile, in a statement in Madras, state director-general of police F C Sharma warned that anyone indulging in violence would be detained under the Goondas Act or the National Security Act. He said Tamil Nadu special police and armed police battalions were rushed to the affected areas to quell violence. Top police officials were camping in the areas where security arrangements were stepped up to avert further clashes.

He said in all, 256 people, including 42 belonging to the Dalit Liberation Panthers and hailing from Madurai, were taken into custody following the clashes. The police had to resort to firing in the air at Ammapuram and Theerthanpalayam near Chidambaram yesterday to disperse clashing groups, he added. He said the clashes broke out in the wake of an attack on two persons at Nochikadu on Sunday, after peaceful conduct of polling. In all, 90 huts belonging to Dalits and 113 huts belonging to non-Dalits were torched and a private bus was set ablaze during the violence.

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said certain vested interests were resorting to violence in some places after peaceful polling on Sunday last. He appealed to all sections of the people to isolate such vested interests and cooperate with the state government's efforts to ensure peace and smooth conduct of polling during the second phase on September 11.

Meanwhile, talking to newspersons at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the TMC headquarters in Madras, Dalit Liberation Panthers convenor R Tirumavalavan, who is the TMC-led front's candidate for the Chidambaram (SC) constituency, said he would observe an indefinite fast at Panagal Park in the city on September 9 demanding repoll in several booths, where he alleged Dalits had been prevented from voting by the Pattali Makkal Katchi. He regretted that the police took no action against miscreants who prevented them from voting despite 12 prior complaints lodged by the DLP expressing apprehension over violence on the polling day.

The PMK cadres had driven out DLP polling agents in several booths, he alleged, and demanded that the Election Commission order a probe to identify the booths where polling could not be held. TMC spokesman B S Gnanadesikan termed as unfortunate, state chief electoral officer Naresh Gupta's decision to reject the TMC's demand for repoll in about 50 booths in the constituency.

The chief electoral officer has all the powers to ascertain whether violence had marred the polling process and order repoll in booths where polling is found to be affected, he added.

UNI

Tell us what you think of this report