Anti liquor protests continued for the third day across Tamil Nadu today, with the stir turning violent in the city, as opposition DMDK and DMK announced separate agitations over the issue while Chief Minister Jayalalithaa reviewed the law and order situation.
In Chennai, students of a private college along with volunteers of a students' outfit staged a protest seeking closure of a liquor outlet.
The stir turned violent when some unidentified men, believed to be students, ransacked the outlet and damaged stocks of alcoholic beverages there.
Police lathicharged the protesters and detained some of them. However, they declined to say if any cases have been registered or if anyone was arrested.
Against the background of continuing stir, the chief minister held a meeting at the Secretariat with top officials today to review the law and order situation in the state.
The meeting comes ahead of a bandh call in support of prohibition by MDMK, VCK, and MMK tomorrow, for which CPI(M) and CPI have already expressed support.
Meanwhile, the action against students here drew a strong reaction from opposition parties. MDMK chief Vaiko said "if the Jayalalithaa government feels that the stir that has broken out across Tamil Nadu against liquor can be put down by force, let me warn that the outcome will be serious."
He also appealed to the students to take forward the fight against liquor as the goal of prohibition cannot be achieved by politicians alone.
DMK treasurer Stalin in a Facebook post said "such a clampdown cannot be allowed in a democratic country. Some girl students have been stamped with shoes by police and arrested."
"I demand action against those police officers who lathicharged students," he said. Stalin also wanted action against officials who detained family members of Gandhian Sasi Perumal when they protested yesterday in Salem.
Perumal died on July 31 during an anti liquor stir.
The Manithaneya Makkal Katchi also condemned the police action.
DMDK has announced that it would hold a human-chain protest on August 6 across the State. The stir here will be led by party chief Vijayakanth.
DMK has said that it would a state-wide protest on August 10 over the issue.
