Black flag protest against TN Guv: AIADMK writes to Prez, PM and CJI

Chennai: Keeping up the heat on the ruling DMK over the black flag protest against Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, alleging he was attacked, the opposition AIADMK has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others, seeking an “appropriate enquiry” to ascertain if it was pre-planned or there was a failure to provide protection to the state’s constitutional head.

In his letter also marked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Justice of India, N V Ramana, AIADMK leader R M Babu Murugavel wanted the enquiry to be headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge. Murugavel is the AIADMK’s Joint secretary, State Legal Wing and also its official spokesperson.

In his letter dated April 20, released to the media on Thursday, Murugavel alleged the Governor “was attacked by certain anti-social elements belonging to DMK and its affliated parties.” On April 19, a black flag demo was held against Ravi during his visit to a Saivite mutt in Mayiladuthurai district, with the agitators opposing him over the pendency of the state’s anti-NEET Assembly bill. Opposition AIADMK and BJP have alleged his convoy was then attacked using stones and flagpoles, an accusation that has been outrightly rejected by the state government, with Chief Minister M K Stalin asserting not even a “speck of dust” fell on Ravi during the protest and that there will be no compromise with his security. \

In his letter, Murugavel said the incident has “negatively affected the reputation” of Tamil Nadu. The governor “was attacked by certain anti-social elements belonging to DMK and its affiliated parties,” he claimed in the letter. “His convoy was intercepted and blocked by protesters using black flags and the unlawful mob broke the police cordon and hurled stones and sticks at the convoy vehicle. It is apparent that the vehicles in-charge of Governor’s security were attacked using slippers, stones and black flags,’’ he said. (PTI)