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Tension at Murungapakkam

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Police personnel trying to pacify protestors in Puducherry on Saturday. —

PUDUCHERRY: Tension prevailed at Murungapakkam on Saturday when activists belonging to various Tamil outfits supporting an independent Tamil Eelam engaged in a war of words with functionaries of the Youth Congress.

Tension started to brew after a functionary of a Tamil outfit allegedly made derogatory remarks against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi during a demonstration staged to protest against the atrocities on Tamils in Sri Lanka. As soon as the news about the offensive remarks spread, Congress activists, under the leadership of Youth Congress president Pandiyan, organised an agitation near the venue of the demonstration.

Police intervened as the two groups raised slogans against each other. A team led by Senior Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Manish Kumar Agarwal arrived at the scene and tried to pacify the groups. When they did not relent, the police arrested the Congress activists and took them to the nearby police station. The police had to use mild force to take the functionaries of the Tamil outfits into preventive custody. Superintendent of Police (North) N.T. Sivadasan told The Hindu that based on a complaint given by a Congress member, a case under Section 153 (trying to provoke with the intent of causing riot) of the Indian Penal Code had been registered against three persons belonging to various outfits. The protest demonstration was organised by the Tamil Desia Iyyakkam, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Dravidar Kazhagam and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Later in the evening, VCK activists staged a road roko at Thiruvandarkoil to protest against the arrest.

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