Bhopal: The dharna by over a thousand MDMK workers, led by party
general secretary Vaiko, stopped on their way to Sanchi to protest
against the visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, continued
tonight at Gadchicholi near Pandhurna on the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra
border.Jabalpur range Inspector General V Madhu Kumar told PTI late night that neither Mr Vaiko nor any of the MDMK workers had been arrested, as the protest so far was peaceful.
Mr Rajapakse is scheduled to be in Sanchi for laying the foundation stone of the International Buddhist University on Friday. MDMK has opposed his visit, citing his government's atrocities against Sri Lankan Tamils.
Mr Kumar said police will take necessary action if MDMK protesters tried to proceed towards Bhopal/Sanchi.
Nanmaran, an MDMK leader, said the sit-in on the Nagpur-Chhindwara road continued. "Our leader will take call on further course of action tomorrow," he said.
Police have encircled the entire group of MDMK workers.
Earlier in the day, Mr Vaiko and MDMK workers, travelling in a convoy of 40 buses, headed for Sanchi, were stopped on Maharashtra-MP border, following which they staged a sit-in on the road.
Mr Vaiko alleged that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan misled him by promising to discuss the matter in Bhopal, but he had been now stopped on the border.
Talking to reporters at Nagpur, the MDMK leader had earlier lashed out at BJP government in Madhya Pradesh for inviting the Sri Lankan president, and the Centre for endorsing the visit, "despite knowing that Rajapakse is solely responsible for the genocide of innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka."
