TMMK Staged Rail Rako
TMMK cadres trying to break through the police cordon while staging a protest at the Podanur railway junction in the city on Saturday in connection with the 16th anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. (Right) TMMK cadres blocking a train in Tirupur. The demonstration by the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) activists to mark the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary at various places in the city and district passed off peacefully. Police foiled the attempts by the cadres to enter the railway station for staging a rail roko agitation. Deployment of armed police personnel and commandos from Rapid Action Force and Special Task Force marked the security arrangements in the city under the supervision of the Police Commissioner, K.C. Mahali. The TMMK also called for a rail roko agitation at Pollachi, Podanur, Coimbatore Junction and Tirupur.
At Podanur, a posse of police personnel led by Deputy Commissioners of Police S. Rajendran (Law and Order) and K. Shanmugavel (Crime and Traffic) prevented the TMMK activists from entering into the railway station. At Podanur Junction, TMMK cadre numbering 298 led by their city unit secretary, Shahul Hameed were removed by the police. A section of youth who tried to enter the station was prevented by the police. Passengers having tickets alone were allowed inside the station.
At the Coimbatore Junction, 544 TMMK activists led by their deputy State secretary J. Haja Gani raised slogans and marched towards the station. Even as the police prevented them at one point, a section of the youth managed to sneak through the cordon. They were removed by the police. Haja Gani demanded that the 450-year-old mosque should be reconstructed and Hindu outfit and Sangh parivar leaders responsible for the ‘kar seva’ should be made to face the law. He also objected to the extension given to Liberhan Commission inquiring into the demolition on 47 occasions and wanted the Commission to table its report at the earliest. During the agitation, the traffic on Railway Station road was diverted.
Members of the Thowheed Jama-ath led by district president Mohammed Ali staged a demonstration at Gandhipuram, near Tamil Nadu Hotel, demanding re-construction of the mosque. The Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindu outfit leaders led by S.R. Seghkar staged a demonstration on Huzur Road demanding that Ram Temple should be constructed and protested against the Mumbai terror attacks. Commotion prevailed when the cadre tried to light a torch defying police objection. The police attempts to stop that resulted in the cadre attempting to stage a road blockade and police resorted to a mild cane charge to clear the traffic.
As many as 62 activists of the Indu Makkal Katchi (Hanuman Sena) led by Deva Govindarajan were removed by the police when they attempted to stage a demonstration near the Airport. In Mettupalayam, 144 activists of Hindu outfits were removed when they tried to stage a demonstration near the bus stand. At Pollachi, 129 members of Thowheed Jama-ath staged a demonstration while 262 activists of TMMK who tried to enter the railway station were removed by the police. In Tirupur, the anniversary passed off by and large peacefully barring a few demonstrations and rail roko by some Hindu and Muslim organisations.
About 1,250 people belonging to TMMK , Thawheed Jamath and Hindu Munnani courted arrest for staging agitations. Members of the TMMK , totalling 434, were taken into the custody when they stopped Bangalore-Ernakulam intercity express train at Tirupur railway station. The agitators belonging to the Thawheed Jamath urged the Centre to take steps to resurrect the Masjid to its original distinctive style. Meanwhile, the Hindu Munnani people raised slogans in favour of building a temple on the disputed land in Ayodhya. The entire police machinery was put on a high alert to meet any emergency. However, traffic was disrupted in many parts of the city.
