Defamatory post: BJP, DMK cadres clash in Pollachi
DMK youth wing district deputy organiser Manimaran along with his party men raised slogans by holding a book on rationalist leader Periyar.
BJP workers protest in front of the house of a DMK functionary in Pollachi on Tuesday
COIMBATORE: Tension prevailed in Pollachi near Coimbatore on Tuesday after BJP and DMK cadres exchanged blows over a controversial social media post by a DMK functionary on the consecration of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Condemning the defamatory post on social media, BJP cadre led by P Paramaguru, the party’s Pollachi town president besieged the house of Thendral Selvaraj, a DMK functionary, at Valliammal layout on Tuesday morning. They also sang bhajans in praise of Lord Ram and attempted to hand over photo of Lord Ram to the wife of Thendral Selvaraj, when she came out of the house.
In retaliation, DMK youth wing district deputy organiser Manimaran along with his party men raised slogans by holding a book on rationalist leader Periyar.
In the melee, the BJP and DMK cadres began to exchange blows forcing police to intervene. The police locked the gates of DMK functionaries’ house and attempted to remove the BJP cadre.
As they refused to leave and squatted in front of the house, police detained 21 persons, including three women and took them to a marriage hall. Meanwhile, Manimaran who suffered minor injuries was taken to a hospital by a 108 ambulance for treatment.
As soon as the news of this incident spread, a group of DMK workers gathered and took out a rally to Gandhi statue before resorting to a road roko on Pollachi-Coimbatore stretch. They demanded the arrest of BJP cadre involved in the assault. After talks by police officials, they withdrew the protest.
