TIRUPPUR: Villagers on Wednesday besieged the Nallur police station for taking five social activists in for questioning, in connection with the Mudalipalayam stone quarry garbage issue.
Sources said social activists and villagers claimed that the garbage dumped by the Tiruppur corporation in Nallur and Mudalipalayam stone quarries in Tiruppur has affected groundwater and the environment. At present, the Madras High Court has imposed a temporary ban on dumping garbage in those stone quarries, due to a case filed by social activists.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin participated in various events held in Erode. Meanwhile, the public had planned to raise a complaint with the chief minister about the issue or draw his attention through a black flag protest when he arrived in Odanilai, located on the border of Erode and Tiruppur districts.
In this context, the Nallur police on Tuesday summoned five social activists, namely Thirunavukkarasu, Ramesh, Chandrashekar, Yuvaraj and Palaniswamy, who had filed cases in court over the garbage issue, to appear for questioning on Wednesday at 3 pm. More than 100 people from Nallur and Mudalipalayam villages gathered in front of the police station on Wednesday to protest.
P Velusamy, president of PAP Vellakoil Branch Canal Water Conservation Movement, said, "In an attempt to suppress our protest, police summoned four people and made them wait at the police station. This is against democracy."
A senior police official of the Tiruppur city police said, "They have already been involved in protests regarding this. A case has also been registered. Therefore, it is customary to send a summons for questioning. They will be released on Wednesday evening after interrogation."