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AIADMK MLA held for assaulting minister

The Madras police yesterday arrested All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham legislature party leader R Thamaraikkani amidst high drama in the Apollo hospital complex in Madras.

The arrest was made on a warrant issued by Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P T R Palanivel Rajan for assaulting Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam in the house.

With scores of AIADMK men including former minister E Madusudanan and party Rajya Sabha member Dalavai Sundaram questioning the arrest, tension prevailed at the hospital complex.

The police team used mild force before securing the arrest of Thamaraikani and roughed up a few persons including photographers who tried to take pictures of the arrest.

Thamaraikani was in the intensive care unit of the hospital when the police arrested him. He was later taken to the government general hospital in Madras for a medical check-up.

This was the third time that Thamaraikani had assaulted a member of the house. Former minister Panruti S Ramachandran and sitting Tamil Maanila Congress legislator Dr A Chellakumar had been his earlier victims.

Thamaraikani had also created ruckus in the MLAs' hostel by assaulting Dravida Munnetra Kazagham legislator A Rahman Khan, currently minister, and Rajagopal, a Congress functionary.

Later, in a statement, Arumugam appealed to the DMK workers not to resort to demonstrations to condemn the assault.

Following the advice of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, the minister appealed to the party workers to maintain peace.

The speaker and the police have taken suitable action in connection with the assault, he added.

UNI

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