200 DMK workers booked for model code violation

Election officials claim they gathered without permission and caused public nuisance earlier this week

Two hundred DMK cadres, four candidates among them, have been booked for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by gathering in groups without permission and causing public nuisance here earlier this week, election officials said today.

Two groups of DMK workers had entered into an altercation on April 15 over raising of slogans praising former DMK minister late Veerapandi Arumugam.

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DMK candidates, Paneerselvam, Advocate Rajendran, Gunasekaran, and Ammasee and their supporters had begun campaigning for the May 16 Assembly polls after garlanding the Anna statue in the city and raised slogans praising DMK chief M Karunanidhi and party Treasurer M K Stalin.

Some other DMK workers had countered by shouting slogans praising the late Arumugam, after which an argument broke out between the two groups.

Police had intervened and pacified them and the groups dispersed.

Sundrajaran, the assistant cooperative registrar, who is also the head of election flying squad, today said cases had been registered against 200 workers on a complaint from election officials.