Liquor ban on highways: Tamil Nadu residents go on fast, seek closure of re-opened TASMAC outlet

Coimbatore: Nearly 200 residents of a village in nearby Tirupur district went on an indefinite hunger strike, protesting the re-opening of state-run the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlet, which was shut following agitation two months ago. [caption id=“attachment_2929594” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The villagers had staged a protest demanding closure of the outlet, relocated to their locality consequent to the ban on sale of liquor within 500 metres of highways. As the protesters refused to disperse, Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police Pandiarajan had allegedly slapped a woman and pushed two others, asking them to move away from the road. On 12 April, the state government had ordered closure of the liquor outlet following outrage over the “assault” on a woman during the police crackdown on the protesters and licence for relocating the shop was cancelled. However, the district administration has re-opened the shop, attracting resentment among the people, who decided to stage a fast, police said. About 200 persons, including a few women, today began their indefinite fast pressing for three demands including closure of the shop and stringent action against ADSP Pandiarajan and cancellaton of his promotion as SP immediately, they said.