Coimbatore: Four persons, including two
children below six years old, were injured when miscreants
hurled stones at a Tamil Nadu government bus in which they
were travelling from Palakkad in Kerala to Coimbatore, police
said.
The incident, which took place Friday night at Kallimedu
along the Palakkad-Coimbatore route, is suspected to be a part
of the protests over the ongoing Mullaperiyar dam issue,
police said.
One other Tamil Nadu government owned bus headed to
Coimbatore from Palakkad was also attacked, in which its
window screens were shattered, they said. The gang that had
hurled stones at the two buses had come in a car and fled
after the incident, they added.
The injured were Saleem (32), who suffered a head injury
and two children whose names were not given. Another man also
suffered minor injuries.
Meanwhile, 11 persons belonging to Tamil Deshiya Munnani,
were arrested in the city today when they raised slogans and
attempted to enter the renowned Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, run by a
group hailing from Kerala, to protest against the stand of the
Kerala government on the dam issue, police said.
While Kerala is pressing for the construction of a new dam
at Mullaperiyar citing safety concerns over the 116-year-old
reservoir, Tamil Nadu has maintained that the dam is "as good
as new" and accused its neighbouring state of whipping up a
"fear psychosis" over the issue.
PTI
