Coimbatore: DMK working president, M.K. Stalin, was arrested in the suburbs of Coimbatore on Thursday when he was on his way to Salem to visit the Kacharayan tank cleaning and to take part in the human chain protest calling for exemption from Neet.
Tension prevailed near Karumathampatty tollgate after the district police stopped Stalin’s vehicle and arrested him to prevent him from going to Salem.
Stalin had landed in Coimbatore airport around 10 am on Thursday morning. After receiving a warm welcome from party cadres of Coimbatore region, he was proceeding towards Salem by car to take part in the Neet human chain protest.
Around 250 policemen led by the district SP Pa. Moorthy were waiting near the Kaniyoor tollgate in Karumathampatty for Stalin’s arrival. While Stalin reached the tollgate along with hundreds of DMK youth wing cadres and party members, the SP, Moorthy stopped the car and handed over a letter demanding that the leader not proceed any further.
Stalin replied that the police could have denied him permission to participate in the human chain protest, but no one could stop him proceeding further along the road. The police immediately arrested him and took him to a community hall.
Tension prevailed at the spot as the party cadres picked up a quarrel with the police and raised slogans condemning Stalin’s arrest.
Police also detained former ministers Subbulaxmi Jagadesan, Kannappan, Selva Ganapathy, Muthusamy, MLA’s and former MLA’s and state youth wing deputy secretary Pari along with hundreds of party cadres who were accompanying Stalin.
Stalin was yet to visit the constituency of TN chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami where the members of DMK youth wing desilted a tank recently and Stalin was to inspect the tank and see how the works went.
Police sources told DC, ‘’tension prevailed in Salem and the situation was not stable after DMK cadres desilted the Kacharayan tank. Just to avoid untoward law and order issue, Stalin was arrested and prevented from entering Salem’’.
EOM
