Stalin holds protest against TN violence

When Stalin began the protest demonstration near Madurantakam, he was joined by a newly-married couple in conventional wedding attire and wearing garlands, who raised slogans against the government.

The DMK leader had presided over the couple's wedding at nearby Acharapakkam before hitting the road for the protest.

Taking potshots at the AIADMK regime, Stalin said he and his party colleagues went to the Secretariat yesterday only to lay siege to the Chief Minister's office and hold a protest and not to seek justice or give representation on the violence.

"We were there to tell the Chief Minister to quit his office and go home and not to give any petitions," he said addressing party workers at the wedding.

Violent protests erupted in Tuticorin on Tuesday as locals took to the streets demanding closure of a copper factory of the Vedanta group over pollution concerns.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly said it was the protest led by him that goaded Chief Minister Palaniswami to break his silence on Thursday on the Tuticorin violence.

Referring to a case filed against him for defying prohibitory orders, he said his partymen had faced several cases and were not afraid of going to jail for people's cause.

He demanded a probe led by a sitting judge of the High Court into the violence and said his party cannot agree on an inquiry by a retired judge (Aruna Jagadeesan) which the government had announced on May 23.

A large number of cadres carrying placards against the violence participated in the demonstration.

Later, Stalin was removed from the spot along with his party workers by the police and they were lodged in a marriage hall. They will be released later in the day, police said.

The DMK-led opposition parties are observing a bandh in the state today to condemn the Tuticorin violence and to demand the resignation of the Chief Minister.