By IANS
Chennai : AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha Monday called for the ouster of Tamil Nadu’s Agricultural Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam for participating in a “violent agitation” to demand the creation of a railway division in the state.
In a statement, Jayalalitha accused Arumugam, who was spearheading the demand for the Salem rail division to be separated from the Palakkad division in Kerala, for taking part in the ‘rail roko’ agitation at Salem Saturday. She accused him of “failing in his constitutional duty” in preventing violence and thus “violating the oath of office”.
Her statement pointed out that train engines and signals were damaged, coaches vandalised during the protest in western Tamil Nadu bordering Kerala, stones and sand were dumped on the train tracks delaying trains and putting the public to hardship.
Jayalalitha said the state police did not file any case against anyone for the violence.
“It is unprecedented in the political history of the country that a constituent of the ruling coalition is staging protest against its own government,” Jayalalitha said.
The rail divisions are created by the central government, of which the ruling DMK is a part.
Union Health Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss too criticised the protest, saying the Salem division has been functioning since February last year and Rs.200 million has been okayed for it, and “there was no need for any agitation demanding its creation”.
The PMK, a DMK ally, has often been critical of DMK policies.