The Hindu : DMK leaders fanning out, meetings everywhere

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 02, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

DMK leaders fanning out, meetings everywhere

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI July 1. The DMK today organised meetings in various parts of the State, protesting the removal of its youth wing leader, M.K. Stalin, as Chennai Mayor.

Leaders fanned out, with the general secretary, K. Anbazhagan, addressing a gathering at Salem; the treasurer, Arcot N. Veerasamy, at Tambaram; the former PWD Minister, Durai Murugan at Nagercoil and Mr. Stalin, at Cuddalore.

Meetings were organised today in 44 places and similar exercises will be held over the next two days. Mr. Anbazhagan will address meetings at Namakkal and Erode in the next two days.

The party seeks to highlight how the one man, one-post rule was brought in by the AIADMK Government and how Mr. Stalin was ousted. The DMK leaders contended that the Jayalalithaa Government resorted to the ``backdoor tactics'', for, it could not win a straight election against Mr. Stalin.

The leaders have also been talking of the progress the city recorded under Mr. Stalin's tenure as Mayor, when the DMK was in power.

`Kannagi in flesh and blood'

Our Salem Special Correspondent reports:

Following Mr. Karunanidhi's directive to the partymen that the Kannagi cut-out be invariably displayed at all party meetings, Salem is the first one to comply with.

The urban district secretary, G. K. Subash, had gone a step ahead to put up a Kannagi cut-out in "flesh and blood'' at a public meeting held here today, in which Mr. Anbazhagan, and the former Agriculture Minsiter, Veerapandi S.Arumugham, were star speakers.

Mr Subash had requisitioned the services of Mr Rangan (41), a member of the Salem District Drama Actors' Association, residing at Karungalpatti area, to don the role of Kannagi. Mr Rangan used to play woman's roles in dramas.

Clad in a black saree, with unkempt hair flowing to the length of four feet, and holding one golden anklet aloft in the right hand, "Kannagi'' struck an angry posture. It took more than two hours to complete the make-up.

According to Mr Subash, the cut-out could not be immediately prepared because it required a model.

Moreover, the party diktat was issued only yesterday, thus leaving hardly any time to go for a cut-out before the commencement of the meeting.

Palaymakottai tense

Our Tirunelveli Staff Reporter reports:

Meanwhile, tension gripped the Palayamkottai market area today after AIADMK cadres, led by the student wing secretary, A.K. Selvakumar, tried to burn an effigy of Mr. Stalin in protest against his "false propaganda against the AIADMK Government and the Chief Minister".

The AIADMK cadres, carrying placards and banners, gathered near the Jawahar maidan and raised slogans against Mr. Stalin.

The situation became volatile as they tried to burn the effigy. However, the police intervened and seized the dummy, forcing the cadres to disperse.

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