Chennai: The City Police booked DMK working president and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin along with his party legislators for his agitation on Saturday at the Gandhi statue on Marina Beach. The DMK leader had resorted to a flash stir alleging that his party MLAs including him were under attack when the trust vote motion was being debated in the Assembly.
Stalin, 63 MLAs, 3 MPs and 1,500 others congregated on Marina Beach, which was deemed an unlawful assembly in violation of an order duly promulgated by a public servant.
They have been charged under section 143 and 188 of Indian Penal Code and under the provisions of section 41 of Madras City Police Act. The beach where the memorial of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa's is located has become the centre of political storms in the State capital after former CM, O. Panneerselvam, staged his revolt there against AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala.
The cops had been sending out regular warnings against congregation of any sort for demonstration and agitation in Marina Beach after protests for jallikattu shook the state last month.
On Saturday, about 1,500 DMK party members, including 200 women, took part in Stalin's stir. The cops intervened and removed Stalin and the agitators. Prior to their arrest, the cadres caused flutter by trying to hoist the DMK flag on Marina Beach. This show went on for a while with the cops preventing the mob from hoisting the party flag. Stalin and his supporters were released from a marriage hall in Mylapore at around 6.40 pm.
The arrest of Stalin had a cascading effect across the State with the cadres blocking traffic on the roads. Such protests were witnessed in Erukkancheri and Kodambakkam in the City.
The DMK cadres also resorted to burning effigies of State Assembly Speaker, P. Dhanapal, in several places across the State. The MLA office of the Speaker, located in Avinashi, Tirupur came under attack. Isolated incidents of stoning of State-owned buses were also reported.
