The call for Tamil Nadu bandh given by the proposed Rainbow Alliance to be led by the DMK evoked mixed reaction on Tuesday with most shops and business establishments in the State downing the shutters.
Though there were no untoward incidents anywhere in Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, the working president of the DMK, claimed that the bandh was total and a ‘big success’. Stalin and some of his senior colleagues were detained by the police at Thiruvarur where they staged a demonstration violating the prohibitory orders.
Elsewhere in the State, normal life was affected to a certain extent as taxis and cabs kept off the roads. But train and bus services remained unaffected which reduced the intensity of the general strike.
The bandh was to express solidarity with the farmers in the State who, according to the DMK leaders are facing severe crisis.
The DMK was joined by its trusted allies like the Congress, the Islamist and Dalit outfits. Parties like the CPI(M), the CPI and the VCK which are struggling for survival in the State too had expressed their solidarity with the DMK and the farmers as a prelude to their joining the Rainbow Alliance.
But the farmers led by Ponnuchami Ayyakkanu, who were staging a demonstration at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for the last 40 days returned to Chennai on Tuesday morning. Ayyakkannu claimed that the Union Government had given him an assurance that their demands would be met soon.
“If the Government fails to keep its promise, we will return to New Delhi after May 25 and launch an agitation till we die,” Ayyakkannu told reporters at Chennai.
Interestingly, the wrath of the DMK and the left parties were against the Narendra Modi-led Government at the Centre. They blamed the Union Government for the crisis faced by the farmers.
Stalin made use of the opportunity to whip-up anti-Hindi feelings against the Union Government. “Even as the farmers are committing suicides in Tamil Nadu, the Centre is busy enforcing and imposing Hindi all over the country much is against the will of the people. We would like the Government to remember what happened in the 1960s when it tried to impose Hindi on non-Hindi speaking States,” said Stalin.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said on Tuesday that talks for the merger of the two factions of the AIADMK have made some progress. Sources in the OPS faction said that the directive from the Centre was to keep the Sasikala family away from the party as well as the Government.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has tightened the noose around TTV Dinakaran, the AIADMK deputy general secretary and nephew of Sasikala in connection with the case registered against conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar for attempting to bribe the Election Commission officials for getting the ‘Two leaves’ symbol which has been frozen by the EC following dispute between the two factions of the party.