Power minister must quit for making TN 'powerless': PMK demand

Chennai, Sep 16 (UNI) Volunteers of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today staged demonstrations across Tamil Nadu, protesting against power cuts and demanding the resignation of Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy.

The agitations were held in the city and other places, including Madurai, Salem and Tiruchirapalli in front of the district headquarters.

PMK volunteers, symbolically indicated that the state was plunged in darkness as they brought candles and lanterns and carried placards, denouncing the Electricity Minister for his ''inaction''.

In the city, PMK President G K Mani, who led the agitation, demanded that the resignation of Mr Veerasamy stating that the latter should own responsibility for the present crisis and step down.

He said the state was facing the crisis as Mr Veerasamy failed to take steps to increase power generation, especially when there was increase in demand of power.

Meanwhile, a bandh call given by 'Vanigar Sangam', led by Mr Vellaiyan, to protest against the power cuts, failed to evoke response as most of the shops in the state remained open.

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