The Hindu : Knife attack, arson as bandh turns violent at Tirupur

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 27, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Knife attack, arson as bandh turns violent at Tirupur

By Our Staff Reporter

Hindu Makkal Katchi cadres being taken into custody when they attempted to block trains at the Coimbatore Railway Junction on Thursday. — Photo: K.Ananthan

COIMBATORE Sept. 26. Three persons suffered knife wounds and an autorickshaw and two liquor shops were set ablaze at Tirupur, where the Bharat Bandh, called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to protest the terrorist attack on the Akshardam temple at Gandhi Nagar in Gujarat turned violent today.

Otherwise, Coimbatore district did not feel the impact of the bandh at all. Commercial establishments, business houses, educational institutions and public transport functioned normally. Heavy security cover has been given to all the temples in the district.

At Tirupur, the protest was near-total with the commercial establishments and mills also not functioning.

For a good part of the day there was no untoward incident. Trouble broke out in the afternoon when a group of Hindu Munnani activists allegedly tried to force closure of shops owned by members of the Muslim community at Kombaithottam in K.N.P. Colony. They were beaten up and chased away. A little later, members from both sections clashed, resulting in three persons sustaining cut wounds. Mohan, Karthik and Periyaswamy were admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. Two liquor shops were set ablaze and mobs from either section gathered before the Tirupur South police station demanding action against each other.

The Inspector-General (Western Zone), Narinder Pal Singh, and the Coimbatore City Police Commissioner, Sanjay Arora, who was in charge of the Coimbatore Range also, rushed to the spot and held talks with members of two communities.

Police said the situation was under control and additional forces were being brought from Erode and Palani to keep peace.

The City Police said they took 22 activists of the Hindu Makkal Katchi into custody when they attempted to stage a rail roko at the Coimbatore railway junction and six persons were held at Pollachi. They were released later.

Good response in Pondy

Our Pondicherry Staff Reporter reports:

The bandh evoked good response in Pondicherry with most of the shops and other business establishments remaining closed. Hotels were also closed in some parts of the town. Thoroughfares such as Nehru Street wore a near-deserted look.

While inter-State buses operated with police escort, town services remained partial. The number of autos and tempos on the road was less than usual within the town. The State Transport Corporation buses were stoned at Reddiarpalayam and Orleanpeth. Stones were also hurled at the premises of a bank. A youth sustained injuries when sodawater bottles were thrown at a private STD booth.

Steel-helmeted and armed police were deployed at vulnerable points. Police pickets were posted at places of worship in and around Pondicherry.

The BJP MLA, A. M. Krishnamoorthy, the Hindu Munnani secretary, V. Selvam, and the president of the Pondicherry Shiv Sena committee, Ramviswalingam, were held at different places. Scores were arrested either for damaging the vehicles or as a preventive measure. Regulatory orders were clamped in Pondicherry.

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