A tumultuous and lawless incident unfolded during a stone quarry auction at the Assistant Director of Mines office within the Perambalur Collectorate in Tamil Nadu, India. In this shocking turn of events, a group of about 500 members associated with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, allegedly under the influence of key figures such as Transport Minister SS Sivasankar’s personal assistant, Mahendran, and the personal assistant of Perambalur MLA Prabakaran, Sivasankar, wreaked havoc and chaos.
Origins Of The Incident
Central to this tumultuous episode was the participation of P. Murugesan, the President of the Traders Wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Perambalur District, in the stone quarry auction. This auction, organised by the Perambalur District Geology and Mines Department, specified fixed tender amounts for each quarry. The gravity of the incident and the alleged intimidation tactics deployed by DMK members cast a shadow over the integrity and fairness of the auction process.
Crucial Developments
DMK members, allegedly bent on disrupting the proceedings and potentially influencing the auction’s outcome, created an atmosphere of disorder and defiance, disregarding established rules and decorum. Despite impassioned pleas from Perambalur Collector Karpagam IAS to restore order, DMK members allegedly continued to act with impunity, blatantly disregarding the norms and regulations governing such auctions.
Perambalur’s Superintendent of Police (SP), Shyamala Devi, arrived at the scene approximately two hours after the initial outbreak of violence, despite reports of police officers and the Perambalur Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Palanisamy, being physically assaulted by DMK members in their efforts to control the situation.
Of great concern was the level of physical violence directed at officers present in the Assistant Director of Mines office. Among those impacted by the aggression were AD Mines In Charge P. Jayapal, Assistant Geologist G. Elangovan, and Mines Revenue Inspector P. Kumari Ananthan. These officials endured severe blows and attacks as they endeavored to fulfill their official duties.
Furthermore, it was reported that MLA Prabakaran’s personal assistant, Sivasankar, tore up the applications and allegedly physically assaulted the officers. The BJP Traders Wing District President, P. Murugesan, not only suffered from physical harm but also had his clothing torn and was subjected to brutal beatings during these chaotic events.
At the time of reporting, no formal complaints have been registered in connection with this disturbing incident. The scale of violence and disruption of official proceedings prompted Perambalur Collector Karpagam IAS to make the difficult decision to cancel the stone quarry tender, citing “administrative reasons.”
Utter Chaos and Lawlessness in Tamil Nadu
During an auction for stone quarry in the office of the Assistant Director of Mines, situated in Perambalur Collectorate, 500 DMK men, who were actively goaded by Transport Minister SS Sivasankar’s PA Mahendran and Perambalur MLA… pic.twitter.com/ojme3OffNm
— Savukku Shankar (@SavukkuOfficial) October 30, 2023
நன்றி @dinamalarweb pic.twitter.com/6FErPZ4Qt7
— Savukku Shankar (@SavukkuOfficial) October 31, 2023
According to BJP Tamil Nadu Industrial Cell Vice President Selva Kumar, Transport Minister Sivasankar’s had sent around 300 henchmen in order to prevent a scheduled caste from getting a stone quarry tender in the presence.
சாதிவெறி திமுக…பட்டியலினத்தை சேர்ந்த ஒருவருக்கு கல் குவாரி டென்டர் கிடைக்க கூடாது என்பதற்காக 300 அடியாட்களை வைத்து மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் அலுவலத்தில் மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர், SP முன்னிலையிலேயே ஆடையை அவிழ்த்து அசிங்கபடுத்தி அடித்து நொறுக்கி வெளியே துரத்தியுள்ளனர் போக்குவரத்து துறை அமைச்சர்… pic.twitter.com/ipGgX6R7Mt
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) October 31, 2023
This episode highlights a disconcerting aspect of law and order in Tamil Nadu, raising questions about the state of law and order in the state.
BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai called for the arrest of the DMK henchmen who were involved in the violent attack.
He said “The DMK mob stopped and assaulted Perambalur Kavulpalayam Panchayat Council President and Industrial Division District Vice President Kalaichelvan and Industrial Division District President Murugesan who had come to bid for the quarries in Perambalur district. Also, the Deputy Director of Mineral Resources Jayapal and Assistant Geologist Ilangovan, Revenue Inspector Kumari Anandan and DSP Mr. Palanichamy and other police officers were also attacked. Even after the district collector came directly and issued a warning, the DMK rowdy gang did not disperse from there and continued to engage in riots. They also attacked journalists there.”
“Law and order in Tamil Nadu is already so bad that a village administrative officer was hacked to death in his office. Now the DMK has created an unsafe situation for the government officials in the district collector’s office itself. If these DMK goons are not bound by the orders of a District Collector, imagine what they would do to the common people.“, he further added.
(with inputs from Dinamalar)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram and WhatsApp and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.