AIADMK holds state-wide protest, demands withdrawal of case against EPS

Tamil Nadu's principal opposition AIADMK on Monday staged state-wide protest demanding that the ruling DMK regime 'withdraw the false case' against party interim chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS).

Former Ministers Sellur K Raju, R B Udhayakumar and AIADMK organising secretary V V Rajan Chellappa led a protest in southern Madurai condemning the DMK government.

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK interim general secretary EPS's name was included by police in an FIR registered in connection with an incident in which a man was allegedly beaten up by party workers after he shouted slogans against Palaniswami on March 11.

Addressing party workers, Udhayakumar slammed Chief Minister M K Stalin as a "doll CM" who was only inaugurating schemes initiated by Palaniswami.

Hitting out at Stalin as an "autocrat," he slammed the DMK regime for filing false case against EPS.

"AIADMK workers do not hesitate to go to jail (to protest against the government), this protest is only a trailer," he said.

In Pudukkottai district, senior leader C Vijayabaskar led a human chain. A former Minister, Vijayabaskar said the case against EPS is unacceptable and condemnable. Police should be impartial, he said and wondered on what grounds police booked a case against Palaniswami. In Chennai, party workers took out a rally and former Lok Sabha member, J Jayavardhan said Stalin is merely enacting "dramas" rather than working for people's welfare and "the Oscar award for best actor should go to Stalin." Rather than taking action against the person who used defamatory language against EPS, the police has filed a case against Palaniswami said former legislator, I S Inbadurai.

Villupuram, Tindivanam, Ramanathapuram, Thanjavur, Thoothukudi were among the other places where AIADMK cadres staged protest. "We condemn the DMK regime, take back the false case against EPS," were among the slogans raised. When Palaniswami was travelling in an airport bus to reach the exit area after arriving in Madurai from Chennai on March 11, a man who was also inside that vehicle, raised slogans against the former CM and filmed it on his smart phone for a live video broadcast on Facebook. When the top opposition leader alighted the bus, the man who shouted slogans against EPS was "roughed up" by AIADMK workers.

In this connection, AIADMK workers and Rajeswaran submitted petitions to police seeking action and an FIR was registered.