Four Puducherry MLAs of AIADMK said that the exact causes of the Regency Ceramics attack incident on January 27 should be ascertained and a CBI inquiry should be instituted by government.

The MLAs, Mr A. Ambalgan (party secretary), Mr Purushottam, Mr Periaswamy and Mr Om Shakthivelu on Saturday visited the government general hospital at Kakinada to console the victims who were injured in police firing.

They gave a compensation of Rs.5,000 each to nine victims and Rs.30,000 to the family of the union leader Murali Mohan who died in the incident.

Later, they told reporters at Kakinada that Regency Ceramics was the biggest unit in Yanam and it should not be allowed to close down. The lockout was not valid legally, they said and added that all steps should be taken by the Puducherry government to get Regency Ceramics and four auxiliary units reopened at the earliest. The MLAs made it clear that management of the Regency Ceramics was using the incident to gain undue advantage.

Mr G.N. Naidu had earned crores of rupees by setting up a unit at Yanam and availing benefit of incentives and subsidies offered by the Puducherry government. Therefore, he did not lose anything in the incident. Only the shareholders of Regency Ceramics and workers were badly affected.

Local leaders of the party Mr M. Sai Kumar and others said that police had booked cases against persons who were not in Yanam when the incident occurred.