Protests, violence affect life in TN

Jaya conviction triggers tension, panic ; Karunanidhi's house targeted

Conviction of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case by a court in Bangalore on Saturday left All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) cadre stunned. The order has serious repercussions on her political career, as she will have to step down as chief minister.

Soon after the verdict was leaked to the press, shops and business establishments downed their shutters; agitated party cadres pelted stones at Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supremo M Karunanidhi's house, burnt effigies of the former CM and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swami and blocked traffic. Shopping hub T-Nagar in Chennai wore a deserted look. A bus was burnt at Kancheepuram, about 50 km from Chennai. No causality was reported till evening.

The police beefed up security for prominent DMK leaders. A group of AIADMK workers staged a protest o utside Karunanidhi's house. Clashes between AIADMK and DMK members have been reported from several parts of the state.

AIADMK workers also targeted Swamy's house in Tamil Nadu. It was on a complaint by Swamy in a court here in 1996 that led to a probe against Jayalalithaa.

While AIADMK cadres, hoping that their leader would go scot-free, celebrated before the order came in, DMK men celebrated by burning crackers after the conviction.

Incidents of violence were reported from important areas of the state, including Tiruchy, Srirangam, (the constituency of Jayalalithaa), Kancheepuram, Madurai, Salem, Karur and Coimbatore.

There were fears of a possible violence if the verdict went against the chief minister. An adverse court verdict against Jayalalithaa in 2000 had triggered violence, which led to death of three Tamil Nadu Agricultural University students.

Political observers hope AIADMK would not resort to any such violence this time, as it would affect Jayalalithaa's popularity, which is at its peak now. Her party had swept the Lok Sabha elections in May this year and any major violence would adversely affect the party's image.