Ramadoss arrest sparks off violence in TN for second day

Sporadic violence continued for the second day in parts of Tamil Nadu on Thursday as fallout of the arrest of  PMK’s founder-leader Dr S Ramadoss and its other senior functionaries, even as the party’s youth wing leader and former Union Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, alleged that ‘arrest warrants’ have been obtained by the Police to arrest his father in two other cases.

      While the PMK Chief Dr S Ramadoss is lodged in the Tiruchirappalli Central jail, his supporters and party cadres’ anger against the State Government’s firm action to put down violence and vituperative speeches inciting caste hatred, is turning counterproductive to the OBC-Vanniyars dominated PMK. Many buses in the State’s Northern and North-Western districts are off the roads fearing attacks.

      The violent incidents on Thursday took an ominous turn as a container lorry, ferrying motorcycles from a factory in Haryana to Cuddalore was badly damaged as miscreants hurled petrol bombs at the vehicle in the wee hours near Tiruvannamalai, Police sources said. At least a dozen of the 55 brand new bikes in the container lorry are feared gutted by the fire, sources said, adding, the vehicle driver, Saagar Khan, has been admitted to hospital with severe burn injuries.

Few other incidents of petrol bomb attacks on private buses and stone-pelting have been reported, including one in Salem district, in which three passengers of a private bus bound for Rasipuram suffered burns, sources said.

 In Vellore and in neighbouring Kancheepuram districts, attackers targeted some wine shops, where hundreds of wine bottles cracked up and splintered in acts of arson.  Realizing that such acts of violence were deeply embarrassing, PMK leader Dr Anbumani on Thursday distanced the party from such incidents.