KRISHNAGIRI: Traffic on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway came to a standstill for nearly four hours near Gopachandram in Shoolagiri taluk of Krishnagiri on Thursday morning after a thousand people staged a road blockade that devolved into stone-pelting and rioting over a delay in granting permission for a bull run event in the district.
Over a thousand people from Anekkal and Malur in Karnataka, Kuppam in Andhra as well as from Shoolagiri and Hosur had thronged to Gopachandram village on Thursday morning to attend the Erudhu Vidum Vizha scheduled for 10 am. Although the state government had granted permission for the event on Wednesday, permission from the district administration was still awaited. Angered, the crowd embarked on a road blockade around 7.30 am, bringing traffic on the Krishnagiri-Bengaluru stretch to a halt.
Although the district granted permission for the event at 9 am, the crowd was in no mood to disperse. Over 300 police personnel from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem and Namakkal were deployed to bring the crowd under control. However, with the crowd resorting to stone-pelting even after being warned, police had to use water cannons and tear gas to end the riot.
As many as 10 police personnel, including Krishnagiri SP Saroj Kumar Thakur, were injured and 20 vehicles, including 12 government buses, were damaged in the violence. Shoolagiri police registered a case and started inquiries. Video footage of the violence is being analysed to identify the culprits.
Submit docus two weeks before the event: Collector
Krishnagiri Collector Dr V Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy told TNIE the organiser had submitted an application seeking permission only on January 30. “This was forwarded to the government, which granted approval on February 1.
By the time, the district administration could give the permission on Thursday morning, people had started protesting. People should submit all necessary documents for permission at least two weeks before the event,” Reddy said.