AIADMK flag pole seriously injures woman

Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK has landed in yet another controversy, with a woman suffering grievous injuries after being hit by a truck while trying to avoid a flagpole erected by party cadre in Coimbatore. The incident comes just two months after a young techie lost her life, after a banner erected by the AIADMK cadre fell on her here.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami added fuel to the fire by almost mocking the accident. “The ban imposed by the High Court is on banners and not on flagpoles,” Palaniswami said, when reporters sought his reaction on the incident that took place in Coimbatore on Monday.

He was referring to the ban on erecting of banners by political parties imposed by the High Court.

“The (Coimbatore) incident hasn’t come to my notice yet,” the Chief Minister said, feigning ignorance. However, local reports said the flag post was erected by AIADMK cadre to welcome Palaniswami who was in Coimbatore on Monday and Tuesday.

Anuradha, 30, is recuperating at a hospital following the incident, which took place on the busy Avinashi Road in Coimbatore. Hospital sources said Anuradha, the only child of her parents, has suffered multiple fractures in both her legs after the speeding truck which was driving behind hit her.

While police say the lorry driver, who is absconding, has been booked for rash driving, the relatives of the injured woman placed the blame on AIADMK. “Political parties won’t learn anything. Anuradha is the sole earning member of the family and the flag pole was the reason for the accident. The police are trying to cover-up since the ruling party is involved,” a relative said.

The incident comes two months after the 23-year-old techie, Subhasri Ravi, was killed on September 12, when one of the banners erected by former AIADMK councillor S Jayagopal welcoming deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, feel on her, leading to her death.

The incident had sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, with people from all walks of life demanding strict action against politicians who erect illegal banners and law enforcement agencies which turn a blind eye.

Subhasri’s was the second death due to fall of a banner in Tamil Nadu – Raghu, a techie, died in Coimbatore in 2018, when a banner erected to welcome Palaniswami for a government function fell on him. The techie had come to Coimbatore for his wedding.