AIADMK bandh brings Puducherry to a standstill

The dawn-to-dusk bandh was called by Puducherry Unit of AIADMK in protest against the conviction of J Jayalalithaa, the party’s general secretary has thrown the life out of gear.

According to reports received, the transport services had been badly hit. Both government and private buses were out of the roads.

The bus stand wore deserted look. Only a few autos, two wheelers and cars were seen to be plying. 

Commercial establishments like shops, petrol pumps, markets and cinema houses remained closed in the union territory as part of the bandh, police said.

So did schools, colleges and other educational establishments. It has been learnt that besides Puducherry city, the bandh was observed in three other regions of the Union Territory - Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

Armed police personnel were deployed at the important road junctions of the city to prevent any untoward incident.

Police pickets were posted in strength at all vantage and vulnerable points in and around Puducherry.

AIADMK party workers and leaders assembled at the party office and took out massive procession.

They were seen shouthing slogans against DMK president M.Karunanidhi and BJP leader Subramanaian Swamy.

“We have called the bandh to condemn the gross injustice that has been meted out to our leader general secretary Jayalalithaa in Karnataka. We will continue our agitations daily until our leader is released from the prison,” senior party leader Anbalagan is quoted by media as saying.

AIADMK Puducherry Unit Secretary P.Purushothaman along with his supporters courted voluntary arrest.

Earlier, on last Saturday, giving a massive setback for ruling AIADMK,  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was sentenced to jail for four years after her conviction along with three others by a special Bangalore court in the 18-year-old Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.

It was argued in the court that she had amassed property worth Rs. 66.65 crores - including 30 kg of gold, 12,000 saris and 2000 acres of land- despite not taking any salary as chief minister.

The court found her guilty of misusing her office during her first stint from 1991 to 1996 to accumulate vast wealth that could not be accounted for by her declared sources of income.

It awarded four years’ of prison to former AIADMK supremo.

She has also been fined Rs 100 crore along with the jail sentence under prevention of corruption act.

The case was filed in 1996 by Subramanian Swamy, now a BJP leader, in 1996.

The AIADMK chief is lodged in VVIP cell number 23 in the Bangalore Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara since Saturday.

There she is prisoner No 7402.