Tirupur: The city police have refused to provide permission to opposition parties led by DMK to conduct a protest against Hindu Munnani (HM) on Monday.

According to sources, HM members had barged into a knitwear export unit on Angeripalayam Road near Jeeva Colony on Thursday and attacked employees after its owner refused to provide money for installing a Ganesha idol. The Anupparpalayam police registered a case against more than 20 people, including HM members. Four of them were arrested on Saturday.

Opposition parties including DMK, CPI, CPM, Congress, MDMK, KMDK and two other outfits held a meeting and condemned the act before announcing the protest on Monday evening and sought permission from the Tirupur south police to conduct it.

But Tirupur south assistant commissioner of police J Naveenkumar refused to provide permission. “We have initiated legal action against the accused in the vandalism case. Considering the present law and order situation in the dollar city, Section 41 of the Tamil Nadu City Police Act, 1988, has been enforced. If permission is given for the protest, law and order situation may worsen. So, permission cannot be granted,” he said.

But the opposition parties blamed HM for announcing that its functionaries will also join the proposed protest. “They want to worsen the law and order situation by joining our protest. Though we promised to manage the situation, police denied permission,” CPI district secretary M Ravi said.

HM state secretary J S Kishore Kumar said that the accused have no links with the outfit. “We also condemn their act. Since the opposition parties organised the protest for the welfare of the knitwear industry, we also wanted to join. There was no hidden agenda behind it,” he said.

Published On : 09-09-2019

Source : Times of India