Madurai or Iran???

Sibling rivalry in the ruling DMK got violent today when two employees and a security personnel of Tamil newspaper Dinakaran were killed after a group of persons claiming to be supporters of DMK leader M K Azhagiri, elder son of Chief Minister K Karunanidhi attacked the newspaper's office and set it afire.The supporters, who hurled petrol bombs and stones at the building, were protesting against a survey published by the Maran family-owned newspaper on who would be Karunanidhi's 'possible political heir'.

Police said 25 people were arrested following the violence as protests were also held in some other parts of the state like Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Cumbum and Kamuthi.The survey "Makkal Manasu"(What People Think)conducted by the daily in association with A C Nielsen, had given 70 per cent chances to M K Stalin, the second son of Karunanidhi and just two per cent to Azhagiri, who controlled the party cadres in Southern districts. The daily is owned by Karunanidhi's grand nephew Kalanidhi Maran, brother of Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran.
At least four buses were also burnt in the violence, police said.The survey which had also given high ratings for Dayanidhi Maran as Union Minister vis-a-vis his Cabinet colleague Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK has already resulted in bad blood between the two parties.The victims of the violence--Gopi(30) and Vinodh(25)--both computer engineers, were asphyxiated when they re-entered the office to save the computers from the attack.

Both were trapped inside the room as the attackers locked it after hurling the bombs around 11 am, Muthupandi, Editor of the paper's local edition said. The body of the security personnel, Muthuramalingam (40),was found in the UPS room of the office. He had also suffocated to death, police said. The rest of the staff inside the office escaped by scaling the wall and breaking the window panes.Earlier, three groups of people had attacked the Office breaking the machines and glass panes worth several lakhs and burnt the copies of the daily,Police said.Meanwhile staff members of the daily staged a road roko on the Chennai-Madurai main road demanding that those behind the attack be arrested.

Karunanidhi upset
Reportedly upset over the deaths, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi wanted the function on May 11 to felicitate him for completing 50 years as a legislator, to be cancelled.Karunanidhi reportedly told this to CLP leader D Sudarsanam, PMK leader G K Mani, CPI-M leader C Govindasamy and CPI leader V Sivapunniyam, when they called on him at his chambers soon after the Assembly proceedings were over today, sources close to Sudarsanam said.However, the leaders prevailed upon him on the plea that all the arrangements had been completed for the function and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had agreed to be present at the function here on May 11, sources said.He has reportedly given instructions to the police officers to take action against those responsible for the incidents.

Reacting strongly to the survey, DMK leader M K Azhagiri alleged there was "ulterior motive" in the survey. "When celebrations of Chief Minister's 50 years in the Assembly were due to be held, why should they cause agony and bitterness. There is ulterior motive in the survey," Azhagiri said. He wanted the Chief Minister to take action against those who published the survey.He said Stalin himself spoke to him over phone, apologised for what had happened and also condemned the survey.City Police Commissioner A Subramanian said a group led by Madurai city Corporation Mayor Thenmozhi Gopinath were the first to protest the survey when they burnt the copies of the paper in front of the Dinakaran office and dispersed.Later, a group led by an Azhagiri supporter "Attack Pandi" set ablaze the office causing extensive damage despite the presence of policemen at the site, police said.According to police, another group of unidentified persons also pelted stones at the office and burnt copies of the paper. Subramanian said cases have been registered against 200 persons for picketing the road and burning the copies of the daily in the middle of the road.

He said specific cases have been registered against eight persons for burning four buses, three near Arapalyam and one near Periyar bus stand under Tamil Nadu Public Property Damages Act. The office of the Vaigai TV at Shenoy Nagar in the city, who are distributors of the SUN TV network, was also attacked and the equipment damaged.A Coimbatore report said adequate security had been provided to the Tamil Daily 'Dinakaran' office here, following the attack on its Madurai office. Copies of the daily were burnt at some places in Tiruchirappalli and Pudukottai districts, police said.A Chennai report said one person was arrested in connection with the death of two employees of Dinakaran during the attack on its office in Madurai this morning and 25 others for rioting at the office, a top police official said.

Director General of Police D Mukherjee told PTI that the Dinkaran offices in the state have been provided with more security and more police personnel were being deployed in Madurai.Those who indulged in violence were agitated over the survey published in the daily on the 'possible political heir of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi'.Chennai Police Commissioner Letika Saran said that to check any untoward incidents in the city."Police picket is in place at the offices of Dinakaran and Sun TV here and regular patrolling is being done in the respective areas," she said.According to political sources, though there had been a rivalry between Stalin and Azhagiri, there was some truce between the supporters of late, particularly after DMK came to power in the state last year.The survey has put the supporters on loggerheads once again.