Scuffle Erupts at AIADMK Office in Villupuram
Intense drama and high tension prevailed outside the AIADMK district headquarters on Villupuram-Chennai Highway on Saturday as a scuffle broke out between the supporters of ousted district secretary and MLA C Ve Shanmugam and the police. The confrontation occurred after police locked the party office to prevent a violent showdown between the supporters of Shanmugam and the newly appointed district secretary R Pasupathi following a vertical split in the party.
Background of the Political Crisis
The deepening political crisis within the party escalated after AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami removed Shanmugam from the Villupuram district secretary post. Palaniswami decided to strip Shanmugam and many others after they extended cross-party support to C Joseph Vijay’s ruling party, TVK, during the crucial trust vote in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly. In a swift move to regain administrative control over the northern stronghold, EPS appointed R Pasupathi as the new Villupuram district secretary.
Police Intervention and Pre-emptive Measures
Anticipating strong resistance from Shanmugam's local loyalists, the newly appointed Pasupathi's faction formally submitted a petition to the Villupuram SP. They requested police protection to enter the premises and demanded that the official keys to the party headquarters be handed over to them. Recognising an imminent threat of violent clashes between both camps, the police took pre-emptive control of the property. Authorities placed an external padlock on the main gates, barricaded the highway junction and stationed heavy forces alongside a riot-control vehicle to secure the area.
Confrontation and Scuffle
The situation took a chaotic turn when a faction of Shanmugam’s loyalists arrived at the spot. In a direct act of defiance, they parked their vehicles right in front of the main gate and attempted to storm inside. Finding the gates locked with a padlock, they aggressively confronted the police personnel on duty, asking who authorised the changing of the locks on their party building. The verbal argument escalated rapidly into a physical confrontation. As cadres tried to push past the barricades, a severe scuffle ensued between them and the police. Police reinforcements quickly moved in to push back and forcibly evict the agitated protesters from the immediate vicinity of the main entrance.
Heightened Security and Ongoing Tensions
The atmosphere outside the AIADMK office remained extremely tense on Saturday night. As Shanmugam was expected to arrive at the venue to challenge his ouster, the police reinforced the perimeter with heavy steel barricades. The district police passed strict orders to clear the highway lanes. Police refused to allow any AIADMK party vehicles or unauthorised cadres to park or assemble anywhere near the office complex to avoid any untoward incidents.
