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Thursday, May 10, 2007
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Parties condemn attack on newspaper office

Special Correspondent

Demand sufficient compensation to the bereaved families

CHENNAI: Political parties and journalists' associations condemned the violent incidents in Madurai on Wednesday, in which two workers of a Tamil daily lost their lives.

All of them demanded the early arrest of the culprits and sufficient compensation for the bereaved families.

AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi was unable to discipline the police, and called for his resignation.

In a statement, she said the police did not take any action out of fear of Mr. Azhagiri. "If the ruling DMK itself does not have any protection, what will be the fate of opposition parties and the common people," she asked. The police personnel paid heed only to Mr. Azhagiri, she added.

Noting there was "videographic evidence" of the violence in Madurai, she said the police had failed to arrest the culprits even after Sun TV named them. This was in contrast to the way the police reacted to agitations organised in public interest by the AIADMK, she added.

The violence, she said, was the consequence of the power struggle within a family.

Dinakaran, she claimed, was trying to create confusion. It first tried to do so in the AIADMK, but "we ignored it."

Later, it had published an opinion poll on a matter relating to the PMK, and that party protested against it. Now, the newspaper was trying to create confusion among DMK partymen, she said.

The State committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) adopted a resolution condemning the "violence let loose by supporters of M.K. Azhagiri."

Stringent action sought

It wanted the Government to take stringent action against those who had indulged in violence.

Urging the Government to protect newspaper employees and Government properties, State secretary of the Communist Party of India D. Pandian wanted the Government to take severe action against those involved in the violence, irrespective of their party affiliation.

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam president Vijayakant said the State could not be held to ransom to the intra-family feud. He wanted the Chief Minister to take moral responsibility for the violent incidents and resign his post.Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy said the violent incidents were "reflective of the utter lawlessness" in the State. The Chennai Press Club criticised the Madurai police for remaining a mute spectator to the violent incidents.

The Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists urged the Government to sanction Rs. 2 crore each to the families of workers who were killed in the violence.

The Tamilnadu Nationalist Congress Party, the Tamilnadu Janata Dal (S) and the Kancheepuram District Journalists Association also criticised the Government.

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