Vaiko demands Velmurugan’s release, parties to hold protest

MDMK leader Vaiko, along with a federation of many Tamil nationalist parties, Dravidian outfits and Muslim organisations, on Saturday, condemned the arrest as an attempt to suppress the protest against the police firing in Thoothukudi. The federation also announced a protest demonstration on May 29 demanding the release of Velmurugan.

Describing Velmurugan’s arrest as a ‘fascist act’, Vaiko demanded the TVK leader’s immediate release. Speaking on behalf of the federation, Socialist Democratic Party of India president KKSM Tehelan Bhakavi condemned the police for not allowing Velmurugan to meet the families of the victims of the Thoothukudi incident. Velmurugan, he said, was leading the federation of VCK, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, and the May 17 Movement and that they could not be suppressed by an arrest. He even vowed to continue the agitations. The BJP is the only party which had not condemned the police firing, he said, raising suspicions if it was involved in the incident.

Naam Tamiliar Katchi (NTK) coordinator, Seeman, has, allegedly gone into hiding since the arrest of Velmurugan, as police have intensified the search for him in connection with three different cases of inflammatory speeches.

While Seeman has moved the court for anticipatory bail in the Indian Premier League protest case, police have registered cases against him in Madurai and Perungudi recently. Police sources said that his phone remained switched off on Saturday.