Pro-Tamil group lays siege to Congress office

Faulting the Congress, which is in power at the Centre, for its failure to prevent mass killings of Sri Lankan Tamils during the final stages of civil war, members of the May 17 Movement and cadre of other like-minded outfits laid a siege to Sathyamoorthy Bhavan, State headquarters of the Congress, and wanted it to be shut down on Saturday.

Security was stepped up and barricades were put up on General Patters Road to restrict the entry of the protesters. Meanwhile, Congress cadre too gathered at the party office to register their protest against the siege. They also attempted to move towards the protesters who were stopped at the entrance of GP Road. State Congress Chief BS Gnanadesikan intervened and asked the Congressmen to get back to the party office.

May 17 Movement president Thirumurugan Gandhi said that the Congress was responsible for the mass killings in Sri Lanka towards the end of the war. He condemned the brutal killing of the slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran’s 12-year-old son Balachandran. He said that the Congress, after betraying the Tamils, should not operate out of Tamil Nadu.

The protesters were removed from the spot and were held in a nearby community hall before being released in the evening.

Meanwhile, a group of protesters attempted to lay a siege to the MA Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk where the first Test Match between India and Australia was underway. They were protesting against a Sri Lankan umpire, Kumara Dharmasena, officiating in the match. Police prevented them from reaching the stadium and arrested them. The protesters were identified as members of Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam.