PMK condemns police highhandedness in handling of road roko in Villupuram

CHENNAI: PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday criticised the police for unleashing repression on Iruvelpattu villagers for resorting to a road roko at Arasur junction on Chennai -Tiruchy Highway against the witch hunt launched by the police over the mudslinging incident on Minister K Ponmudi last month.

“The women who were protesting were dragged away by male police officers in a humiliating manner. The police have also dragged away innocent youths who were watching the protest like terrorists. This police brutality is strongly condemnable,” he said in a statement.

Pointing out that this repression has been unleashed to take revenge and punish them, as they are from the same village where Minister Ponmudi was pelted with mud a few weeks ago over the flood relief, he said that though the Minister asked not to take action on the villagers, the officials have filed a complaint and police have been taking steps to arrest those who threw mud on December 3.

“The mudslinging of Minister Ponmudi cannot be justified. However, the problem is caused by the fact that, to present themselves as just, they publicly announced that no action should be taken against the villagers, filed a complaint in the name of the authorities and tried to arrest them, and the people of that village were harassed for this,” Ambumani alleged.

The PMK leader said that if the villagers are being oppressed after weeks because a minister was insulted while they were fighting for justice, then “we can understand the extent to which the feeling of revenge has been ingrained in the minds of the rulers. When we see such incidents, the doubt arises as to whether what is happening in Tamil Nadu is democracy or police rule. The day when the people will teach a lesson to all these is not far off.”