Tension in Rajapalayam as protest continues

Rajapalayam

Tension prevailed in Rajapalayam town after scores of villagers from Mudugudi gathered at Gandhi statue junction and staged a road blockade on Monday.

The agitators were supporters of former Puthiya Tamilagam district secretary, Rajalingam, who was hacked to death by a gang on his way to his farm on Saturday.

Rajalingam was accused in the murder of a local man Thangavel, who was hacked to death in January.

Though the police had arrested four persons in connection with Rajalingam’s murder, the protesters sought the arrest of all the 11 accused named in the case.

Tension mounted when some of the protesters forced shops in the vicinity to close down and pushed few motorbikes on the road. However, others pacified them.

A huge posse of police personnel were posted at the scene. The agitation went on for nearly 30 minutes. However, a bigger crowd gathered at Mudugudi and continued the road blockade.

Virudhunagar Collector, R. Kannan, along with Deputy Inspector General of Police (Dingidul), Muthusamy, who holds additional charge of Madurai Range, and Virudhunagar Superintendent of Police, P. Perumal, held talks with protesters.

“After we promised them that no one connected in the case would be spared, they relented and gave up the road blockade,” Mr. Kannan said.

Vehicular traffic that had remained diverted through other route was brought back to normal.

However, the agitators had said that they would accept the body of Rajalingam only on Wednesday.