MADURAI: The convoy of Premalatha Vijayakanth, wife of DMDK founder leader Vijayakanth was attacked, allegedly by DMK men, as she was campaigning for her party candidate Dhanapandian for the Thirumangalam by-election in Kappalur, near here on Tuesday.
Premalatha, however, escaped unhurt and was taken to Taj Retreat Hotel in Pasumalai, where she is put up, in another vehicle.
Premalatha was not scheduled to campaign on this stretch. Since Vijayakanth had left the campaign trail before reaching Kappalur, his wife had stepped in for him.
L K Sudish, the party’s state youth wing secretary and Premalatha’s brother, addressing the press later in the party’s office in Thirumangalam, said that just as the convoy reached Kappalur around 9 pm, a group of 20 DMK men attacked it from the front while another group of 30 attacked the convoy with stones and wooden logs from behind.
He said that eight personal body guards who accompanied Premalatha’s vehicle were injured in the attack and were taken to a private hospital in Madurai for treatment.
Sudish said that his party had requested for police protection for the past 12 days since they perceived a threat to Premalatha’s life. But the police had not taken any step so far, Sudish charged.
Sudish said that after the attack, he contacted the Madurai Rural Superintendent of Police and the District Collector but failed to get any response from them. He said party workers would meet the election observer and hand over a complaint of the attack tonight or on Wednesday.