DMK obviously learns from its experience-Courtesy Times of India 12th August 2001

chennai: at least two persons were killed sunday in police firing and as violence and arson marred a rally organised by the dmk here to protest againt police excesses against party chief and former chief minister m karunanidhi and two union ministers. more than 100 people were injured in the violence. unconfirmed reports, however, said the number of dead could be six. the dead are supposed to be dmk activists. police said one dmk activist, s murugan, was killed and two received bullet wounds when they opened fire on violent dmk activists close to the venue of the rally at seerani arangam near marina beach. over 100 people, including some journalists and police officials, were injured in lathi-charge and bursting of teargas shells by police after at least three vehicles, including a jeep, were set on fire and scores of others damaged by the rallyists. tv cameras were smashed and lensmen and journalists were beaten up in front of the dgp's office when they were recording the burning of some vehicles. police said they fired teargas shells as the rallyists threw stones at police and some vehicles near the director general of police's office at seerani arangam near marina beach. a jeep and a bus were set ablaze prompting the police to use batons, lob teargas shells and finally open fire to disperse the crowd. when lensmen and tv camera crew attempted to record the incident, police smashed their cameras and beat them up. cameramen of ani and aaj tak television news channels among those injured. former dmk mp mohammed saki was among those injured. karunanidhi accused the police of creating trouble in the peaceful rally. he called for a probe by a sitting supreme court judge into what he called "the instances of the violation of the constitution by jayalalitha government". for good measure, bloodied dmk activists joined karunanidhi on the dais to testify to the "police brutality" and add to the list of "constitutional infringements" by the aiadmk government. after the rally, karunanidhi rang acting governor c rangarajan in hyderabad to complain against the violence. rangarajan, who is the governor of andhra pradesh but holds temporary charge of tamil nadu, is expected here on monday. the dmk activists flooded the city as they gathered for the three hour long procession flagged off by chennai mayor and dmk youth wing president m k stalin to protest against the 10 km-long procession that began at 3.45 pm from saidapet, weaved down nandanam, chamiers road, radhakrishnan salai to culminate at the seerni arangam on the sands of marina for a public meeting later in the night. the crowd, which came from all parts of the state was almost uncontrollable, though karunanidhi appealed for a peaceful demonstration. the trouble began when dmk workers pulled down a cut-out of tamil nadu chief minister and aiadmk supremo j jayalalitha near radhakrishnan road leading to the rally venue. dmk activists held up movement of vehicles for some time on the outskirts of the city and police seized from them sickles and sticks. the times of india office building on chamiers road was stoned by some rallyists. the attack was first targetted at the security personnel. however, as the procession went past some processionists threw stones at the building. the incident occurred between 5 and 6.30 pm. festoons, posters depicting scenes of karunanidhi's arrest, flags and hoardings lined the route. the processionists shouted slogans against the chief minister j jayalalitha and city police commissioner k muthukarupan. no buses or autorickshaws plied the route taken by the procession. party cadres arrived in the city in the morning from various villages all over the state and were seen sightseeing on the beaches. they flocked the arterial anna road from saidapet to the dmk party office, anna arivalayam. the procession, led by the youth wing, was joined by the party's women's wing, students wing, lawyers wing, literary wing, farmers wing, weavers wing, fishermen wing and film personalities of the parties. the public meeting was addressed by frontline leaders of the party, including karunanidhi, decrying the police excesses and the tamil nadu government's reluctance to take action against the police officials.