Students and villagers destroying a building meant for a TASMAC outlet at Moonur in Madurai on Tuesday. Tin sheets being removed. more-in The tin sheets being erected for a bar in front of a newly-opened liquor shop in Moonur here was dismantled by a group of villagers, students from a private polytechnic college located nearby and cadres of Communist Party of India (Marxist) party on Tuesday morning. The people alleged that while they were planning for a peaceful protest demanding closure of the shop, they were provoked by a group of men, who owned the property in which the shop was located. R. Annadurai, former MLA from CPI (M) party, said that the men tried to attack the protesters with bricks. “Provoked by their action, the sheets erected for the bar were broke down by some of the protesters,” he said. Police sources, however, said that the protesters began dismantling the tin sheets even before the group of men arrived at the spot. The issue started with the opening of the TASMAC-run liquor shop, which was shifted from Alagarkoil Main Road following the recent Supreme Court order banning liquor shops within 500 metres of highways. The new location of the shop at Moonur coming under Poigaikaraipatti panchayat had the private polytechnic college and a primary school located within couple of hundred metres, the protesters pointed out. Ironically, a privately-run de-addiction centre for people affected by alcohol abuse was also located within 100 metres from the shop. “Moreover, houses in the village are also located within a short distance. The people cannot avoid crossing the shop daily,” said N. Kumaran (name changed), an youngster from the village, who participated in the protest on Tuesday. The villagers alleged that they had submitted petitions to Collector and Superintendent of Police ever since the liquor shop began functioning nearly four days ago. Petitions were also reportedly submitted by the polytechnic college and de-addiction centre against opening of the shop. “We decided to stage a protest since no action was taken on the petitions and arrangements were being made to open a bar as well,” Mr. Kumaran alleged. The protesters, including large number of women, also staged a road roko for about 30 minutes subsequently, following which senior government and police officials arrived at the spot and negotiated with the protesters. Based on their assurances that the shop would be closed, the villagers gave up the protest. Madurai district police said that a case had been registered against the protesters in Appanthirupathi police station for staging the protest without permission and damaging the property.

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