Government instructed police to use force, charges PMK leader

S Ramadoss, founder of the PMK, in a statement, said the state government has been pushed to the level of running the government administration by selling liquor. “Even after the Supreme Court directed the state to remove TASMAC outlets located near state and national highways, the government did not heed to the judgment and it tries to shift the outlets to the residential colonies,” he said. 

Since public showed stiff opposition to such moves, the government has instructed the concerned police stations to handle the situation by force, he charged. Stating that men in khaki resorted to lathi-charge on differently-abled women and other people, who protested to remove the outlets, Ramadoss said that even after the public aired their grievances to the district collectors, no action was taken on the police personnel. 

Quoting a HC order that if public complained against liquor outlets, necessary action should be taken within three months by the district administration, the PMK leader said, “Had the district administrations taken action properly, there would have been no violence in the state.” Ramadoss demanded the release of protesters.