TVK campaign: Tiruchy street vendors protest against damage caused

TIRUCHY: Street vendors in Tiruchy staged a protest on Wednesday against the Tamilga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), demanding they replace their push carts and furniture damaged during actor Vijay’s campaign.

Actor and TVK president Vijay commenced his political campaign from Tiruchy on September 13, when around a lakh cadres gathered on the road at Marakkadai near Gandhi market at the designated spot. Some of the cadres who were cheering on seeing the actor went on a rampage, damaging pushcarts and furniture kept along the street with covered packing.

The police registered a case and estimated loss of public properties, and the vendors’ belongings to be approximately Rs 2.5 lakh. Further investigations are under way in this regard.

However, the day after the campaign, the street vendors around Marakkadai were shocked to find that several of their push carts and furniture were damaged. Subsequently, they complained to Gandhi Market police demanding compensation for the loss.

As their demands had not so far been fulfilled, the street vendors who had almost lost their livelihood assembled at Marakkadai on Wednesday, while the CITU members had also joined them and staged a protest demanding compensation immediately.

The street vendors’ association district president, Ganesan, who led the protest, said the police had registered a complaint and there was no action against them so far. Ganesan also condemned Vijay for ‘poor planning’ of the campaign. CITU District Secretary Rangarajan and functionaries took part in the protest.