NAGAPATTINAM/ RAMESWARAM/ PUDUCHERRY/ VELLORE: Two vehicles including a lorry bearing Karnataka registration plate were attacked by an unidentified gang near Sirkazhi in the wee hours of Monday.
Sources said that similar incidents have taken place in Sirkazhi and Vaitheeswarankoil localities of Nagapattinam district. In the first incident, the lorry was parked in Sengamedu village near Sirkazhi when a gang of seven unidentified members pelted stones at the vehicle that shattered the lorry's windshield. However, the driver identified as Sakthi, a native of Krishnagiri, escaped unhurt.
In another such incident, a MUV jeep with Karnataka registration plate that was parked near Vaitheeswarankoil temple was attacked. No police complaints have been registered so far owing to the hostile situation between the two states over Cauvery river sharing dispute.
In Tiruchy, to avoid untoward incidents, police protection has been provided to Karnataka Bank situated in Thillai Nagar on Monday.
Meanwhile, in Rameswaram, five vehicles bearing Karnataka registration numbers came under attack in Rameswaram. The vehicles were ferrying tourists from Karnataka to visit Sri Ramanathaswamy temple in the pilgrimage city.
The incident took place when the vehicles were parked at Rameswaram's vehicle stand and the tourists were away; nobody was reported injured. There were more than ten attackers who attacked the parking lot twice before 9 am and used wooden logs and other weapons.
The five vehicles include a bus, three vans, and a car. In the attack, a vehicle belonging to the temple was also damaged.
It is being reported that the attack was carried out by Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), Velmurugan's Tamilar Vazhvurimai Katchi, and Pazha Nedumaran's Tamilar Desiya Munnani.
Following the attack, Rameswaram Town police have detained four members from NTK and two each from other two parties.
In Puducherry, around 35 volunteers of Gramapura Makkal Pathukappu Iyakkam were arrested when they attempted to attack Karnataka Bank on Mission Street on Monday.
The volunteers who came on a rally were stopped by the police some distance away, but when they attempted to break the barricade and proceed towards the bank, they were arrested.
Earlier the protesters burnt photographs of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, condemning the slapping of a Tamil youth in Bengaluru for criticising Karnataka government's stand on Cauvery issue.
Bengaluru bound Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus was vadanlised by stone pelting on Sunday late evening in Vellore. The incident, that left the windshield of the nus totally damaged, took place when the bus reached Veppur near Arcot on Chennai–Bangaluru National Highway. Locals who witnessed the event, told Express, that the driver got panicked after the incident and fled with the bus immediately. Arcot town police said, they did not receive any official complaint.
In Ambur, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi cadres seized a KSRTC AC bus on Ambur main road. They have allegedly damaged the bus windows. Besides, around 100 students of Government Law College staged protest at Silk Mill against the people who attacked Tamil youth in Bangaluru and raised slogans against Karnataka government. As precautionary measure, a large number of police personnel have been deployed in Katpadi-Vellore main road.
Meanwhile, our reporter Sivaguru tweeted about Tamil Nadu buses being halted at Hosur.