SIAA polling: Allegations of attack, bogus voting

Image
Press Trust of India Chennai
Last Updated : Oct 18 2015 | 1:48 PM IST
Polling for various posts to South Indian Artistes' Association today turned murky with alleged allegations of physical assault and bogus voting being made by one of the sides.
Actor Vishal Reddy, leading the campaign against incumbent SIAA President R Sarath Kumar, was allegedly heckled and pushed and sustained injuries but insisted that the "election will not stop".
"Whoever attacks, election will not stop. We are actors, we are against violence. Not just me, some women were also targeted," an emotional Vishal told reporters but declined to say who had attacked him.
He suspected that his alleged attacker could be an outsider.
He sought additional police protection for women and said that his team will not rest till the elections were over and votes counted.
Top Tamil comedian Vadivelu alleged that Vishal was forcefully pushed and heckled, recreating the scene that happened inside the polling booth before the actor stormed out with his supporters.
"There are efforts to stop polling by resorting to violence but that is not going to happen. Police should strengthen security as a women actor was abused and attacked," he alleged.
Meanwhile, police said after some confusion was noticed, a police team was sent to handle the situation.
Comedienne, 'Kovai' Sarala, alleged that bogus voting was happening as an actor had discovered that his vote had already been cast when he came to exercise his franchise.
However, actor Ramki, a supporter of Sarath Kumar, denied any wrongdoing and said polling was proceeding smoothly.
He said "there might be some emotions," with so many actors and their fans around but denied there was any attack.
Meanwhile, polling is continuing at brisk pace.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 18 2015 | 1:48 PM IST

Next Story