Vijay slams assault of youth near Coimbatore, demands action

COIMBATORE: TVK leader Vijay on Monday condemned the assault of a youth for removing a DMK campaign sticker near Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore district. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when DMK members were engaged in a door-to-door campaign for the April 23 assembly election. A group of five DMK members visited the house of Prathap, 26, a construction worker living near Kinathukadavu. According to police, the group pasted a DMK campaign sticker on the wall of Prathap’s house. He removed it. Enraged, the DMK members got into a verbal altercation with him. Prathap was holding his baby during the argument and, in the heat of the moment, allegedly used abusive language. The group assaulted him and threatened him with dire consequences. Prathap and his wife filed a complaint on Sunday night but withdrew it on Monday. The couple said they knew the accused and had reached a compromise with them. However, police said they were continuing to investigate the matter.In a social media post, Vijay said: “The authorities must immediately arrest and take strict action against those involved in this unruly act. I urge the Election Commission to intensify its monitoring activities to ensure that people can exercise their right to vote in a free and safe environment.”