Chennai:
Former Union Minister and Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss has been arrested in Chennai by the Kancheepuram police in an old case. He has been booked for violating the law -- addressing a gathering beyond the 10 PM deadline -- at the party's annual conference in Mahaballiburam last year.
Only a few days ago his father, PMK Chief Dr Ramadoss was put behind bars for attempting to stage a protest in the Villupuram district without police permission. On Thursday, the police also obtained fresh warrants against the senior Ramadoss for allegedly violating the same conditions his son did at this year's edition of the annual party conference in Mahaballiburam last week.
Ten Dalit houses were set on fire at Marakannam allegedly by PMK cadre on April 25, the day of the conference. The PMK, which is mobilising a non-Dalit political front, has denied these allegations. The party in turn claims that three of its party workers were murdered by supporters of the Viduthalai Chirutthaigal (VCK), a Dalit party and has demanded a probe. The VCK has denied these charges and the state government too has gone on record that these men were killed in a road accident while returning home from the conference.
The arrest of the PMK chief triggered trouble in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu. At least three buses were set on fire by PMK workers and over a hundred government buses were damaged in stone-pelting. So far, police have arrested around 4,000 PMK workers across the state.
Anbumani Ramadoss has termed the arrests as political vendetta and told NDTV "Absolutely, the PMK is not behind the attacks (on Dalist)," and demanded a CBI probe.