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Images: Police charge at protesters, hurt women during anti-TASMAC protests in Coimbatore

Residents were protesting against the relocation of a liquor shop from the highway to their area

The police in Coimbatore resorted to lathi charge on Tuesday night to clear protesters in Samalapuram, who were agitating against a liquor shop that was being relocated to the area. Residents allege that they were given no prior warning ahead of the ‘violent assault’ against them.

Residents had taken to the streets on Tuesday to protests against the Government’s move to shift a TASMAC from the highway to their area. When Sulur MLA R Kanagaraj’s car passed through the area during these demonstrations, they attempted to block the vehicle. They allegedly wanted to confront the MLA about the administration’s lack of response to their opposition to the outlet. Following this, the MLA joined the protesters to express his support and police presence was increased to tighten security. 

Despite the resulting dialogue between the administration, police and residents, the protests did not stop. When the assurances provided failed to end the agitation, the police then lathi charged the protesters, including women. Angry agitators threw stones at the police vehicles in retaliation. The MLA who was present at the venue, left before the lathi charge began. 

One of the protesters at the venue sustained heavy injuries to his head and has been rushed to the Government hospital. This is not the first time that residents have risen in protests against TASMAC outlets. Since the Supreme Court banned liquor outlets on national and state highways on April 1, there has been widespread opposition to moving these shops to residential areas. 

On April 4, some residents in Sulur beat up a cop who intervened in their protests against a liquor shop. In Lakshmipuram in Tiruvallur district, women sat in protest earlier this month against a liquor shop located near a school.They alleged that the ban had caused tipplers from Ponneri, where liquor outlets were closed, to flood their area, creating a public nuisance.

Source: The News Minute