An AIADMK woman functionary was manhandled by DMK cadre for questioning party chief MK Stalin during a grama sabha meeting at Devarayapuram in Thondamuthur on Saturday, 2 January.
The woman was identified as Poongudi, the AIADMK women’s wing president in Coimbatore south district.
When Stalin urged people to ask questions, Poongudi, who was seated with a DMK cap, stood up to ask a question. She asked the DMK president why he was conducting a grama sabha meeting in Coimbatore.
He asked her who she was, to which she replied, “I am an Indian citizen,” hailing from Sugunapuram near Kuniyamuthur.
When Stalin asked if her house fell under the Devarayapuram village panchayat, Poongodi hit out at him asking how he could conduct a meeting when he did not even know the area.
Stalin then alleged that AIADMK minister SP Velumani had sent the woman to the grama sabha to create nuisance. He then told her to “go out.”
In a video that has gone viral, she is seen escorted out of the meeting by DMK wing cadre. Though the leader instructed the party workers not to touch her and to hand her over to the police, the woman is seen being attacked by the cadre.
The Thondamuthur police is seen rescuing her and walking her to the police cars. The cadre is seen raising slogans against AIADMK while Poongudi is heard raising slogans against DMK and Stalin. Rajan, who had accompanied Poongodi, is also seen being beaten up, allegedly by DMK cadre.
A formal complaint has still not been registered. Cadre from both parties staged protests at Thondamuthur.
DMK’s Stalin has been campaigning across the state under the banner ‘WeRejectADMK’, slamming AIADMK for the "lack of governance" by the state government, highlighting issues such as NEET suicides.
The DMK chief has planned to visit over 16,000 villages and wards to conduct "gram sabhas" where resolutions will be adopted against the AIADMK government.
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