Effigy burning case: 140 DMK cadres taken into custody

Ariyalur, Tamil Nadu, Jan 8 (UNI) Over 140 workers of the ruling DMK were taken into custody for allegedly burning Tamil Nadu Vanniyar Sangam President and former Pattali Makkal Katchi MLA Kaduvetti Guru in effigy in the district today.

Police said the DMK men burnt the Mr Guru in effigies for the second day in succession today, besides those of PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss at Senthurai, near here yesterday, protesting against the remarks made by Mr Guru at the party's Perambalur and Ariyalur districts general council meeting held here recently.

Police also took into custody 19 PMK men as a preventive measure.

However, both the DMK and PMK cadres were later released.

Meanwhile, traffic on the Perambalur-Thuraiyur highway came to a grinding halt for about an hour, as a group of DMK men burnt Mr Guru in effigy and resorted to road blockae at Perambalur town.

The agitators also allegedly broke the windscreens of a State Transport Corporation bus, police said.

To avoid further trouble, arrangements for elaborate police bandobust and intensive police patrolling had been made in all the vulnerable areas of Ariyalur and Perambalur districts.

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