After a day of violence that followed the arrest of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader and Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, Tamil Nadu on Sunday limped back to normalcy with the resumption of local and inter-state bus services and opening of shops and commercial complexes in many cities, including Chennai.
Police sources at the headquarters here said more than 500 AIADMK activists have been arrested since Saturday evening following the violence that broke out minutes after a Bangalore court convicted Jayalalitha in a disproportionate assets case. “Cases were filed against 200 persons who indulged in violent activities,” a senior police official said.
Local and inter-state bus services, which came to a grinding halt on Saturday and left passengers stranded, resumed with tight security. But bus services to neighbouring Karnataka and Kerala continue to be suspended.
Security in areas bordering the neighbouring states has been beefed up and private vehicles entering the state have been thoroughly checked.
Inter-state and suburban trains that were mildly affected also began functioning normally. Passengers were seen in large numbers at the stations, especially in capital Chennai.
As a precautionary measure, security has been stepped up in all district headquarters to prevent untoward incidents.
Meanwhile, senior state officials, including State Advisor Sheela Balakrishnan, Senior Secretary to the Chief Minister K N Venkatramanan and other high-level bureaucrats travelled to Bangalore on Sunday morning to meet Jayalalitha who was jailed in the city.
State ministers, AIADMK leaders and MLAs who had gathered in Bangalore for the verdict also returned by Sunday afternoon to take part in the legislature party meeting that elected O Paneerselvam as the new chief minister.
Chennai police have also filed cases against M Karunanidhi, M K Stalin and several other DMK activists for assaulting AIADMK cadres near Gopalapuram on Saturday.
