AIADMK, AMMK men clash over party flags placed around Jaya’s statue
Tension prevailed in Thanjavur as cadre of both AIADMK and AMMK, who came to garland the statue of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa on her birth anniversary on Wednesday, removed and threw the flags installed around the statue.
AMMK party workers, who came to garland the statue of Jayalalithaa located near Thanjavur railway station installed their party flag around the statue. Police asked them to remove the flags after garlanding the statue. As the AMMK cadre refused to do so and started leaving from the spot, the police started to clear the flags. The AMMK cadre objected to this and picked up an argument with the police and insisted them to remove the AIADMK flags also. As the situation was turning tense, the police cleared the AMMK men from the spot.
By the time, the AIADMK cadre, who came on a procession, reached the spot to garland the statue. On seeing the AMMK flags there, they raised slogans against AMMK and asked the police to remove them. When police were standing fingers crossed, the AIADMK cadre, who climbed up the podium, removed the AMMK flags and threw them on the road.
The AMMK cadre also retaliated in the same manner. This led to a heated argument at the spot and both the groups were about to clash. To calm the situation, police intervened and prevented exchange of blows. Despite this, the AIADMK men kept on removing and throwing the AMMK flags while the AMMK cadre removed the AIADMK flag. Later, both the groups dispersed from the spot.