Body of anti-liquor crusader buried

The body of anti-liquor crusader Sasi Perumal, who died in Kanyakumari district during a stir demanding closure of a liquor outlet last week, was today buried near here.
His death had triggered a slew of protests all over the state on the issue of prohibition with parties like DMK, DMDK and MDMK latching on to the issue.
DMK Treasurer, M K Stalin, TNCC chief E V K S Elangovan, MDMK chief Vaiko, CPI (M) State secretary G Ramakrishnan, VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan and other leaders were present.
On behalf of the DMK, Stalin handed over Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family at their house at Mettupatti here.

Stalin said this was the right time to implement prohibition in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, Vaiko and family members received the body from Kanyakumari Government Medical College Hospital last night and it was brought here in the morning.

After religious rites were performed, the body was buried.
The 59-year-old activist had climbed a 120 ft mobile phone tower in Kanyakumari district on July 31 demanding closure of a liquor outlet near an educational institute but collapsed during the more than five-hour long stir and was declared brought dead at a hospital.
The family members had refused to accept the body earlier demanding imposition of prohibition and were staging protests since the last six days.

His death triggered protests with parties like DMK and DMDK announcing separate agitations demanding imposition of prohibition.
While DMK has said that it would a state-wide protest on August 10 over the issue, the DMDK has announced that it would hold a human-chain protest on August 6.
On August 4, a dawn-to-dusk bandh call was observed by MDMK, VCK, MMK over prohibition. It was backed by Left parties and a traders federation.
Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Natham Viswanathan had flayed DMK, MDMK, BJP and other political parties for demanding prohibition stating that it was "only to gain political mileage and damage reputation of the Government.