Archive · 5 Aug 2026
DMK cadre assault commuter during Tirunelveli road blockade protests
Some people from a political party in Tamil Nadu called the DMK were very upset.
Their leader, Udhayanidhi Stalin, had been arrested, and they wanted to show they disagreed.
So they lay down on a busy road in a city called Tirunelveli to stop traffic.
Many cars and bikes could not move, and people had to wait for a long time.
There was a small gap on the side of the road, and someone on a two-wheeler tried to get through it.
Some angry protesters stopped him, pushed his vehicle down, and hurt him, even after he asked why they were causing trouble.
A police officer rushed to help and police kept the rider safe.
Then the police moved all the protesters, including a local leader named Abdul Wahab, away from the road.
The police said people who hurt others or blocked the road would face legal action.
Similar protests also happened in other towns nearby, and many protesters were arrested there too.
DMK cadre blocked the Tirunelveli-Madurai Road at the Chellapandiyan statue junction in Vannarapettai by lying across the road around noon.
The blockade brought traffic to a standstill, causing long tailbacks and inconvenience to commuters.
A two-wheeler rider who tried to pass through a narrow gap was assaulted, his vehicle was pushed down, and he was assaulted again after questioning the protest.
City Deputy Commissioner of Police Saravanan rushed to the spot, and all protesters, including MLA Abdul Wahab, were detained and shifted to a private marriage hall.
Similar protests were held in Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Valliyoor, Tenkasi, Nagercoil, Marthandam and other parts of the southern districts, with protests staged against the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin.
- Who
- DMK cadre led by Palayamkottai MLA Abdul Wahab, along with former ministers Geetha Jeevan and Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, former Speaker M. Appavu, and a two-wheeler rider who was assaulted.
- What
- A two-wheeler rider was assaulted by DMK cadre during a road blockade, prompting police to detain the protesters and announce legal action.
- When
- On Tuesday, with the Tirunelveli protest held around noon.
- Where
- Tirunelveli-Madurai Road at the Chellapandiyan statue junction in Vannarapettai, Tirunelveli, and other towns in southern Tamil Nadu including Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Tenkasi, Nagercoil and Marthandam.
- Why
- The DMK staged statewide protests against the arrest of Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin.
DMK protesters
Police and commuters
Road blockade protest tactics
DMK protesters
Blocking roads by lying across them is a form of protest against the arrest of their leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, staged across the southern districts.
Police and commuters
The road blockade brought traffic to a standstill, and police said legal action will be initiated against those responsible for causing inconvenience to the public.
Assault on the two-wheeler rider
DMK protesters
Protesters repeatedly warned riders not to cross the blockade, and enraged cadre assaulted a rider who tried to pass through the gap and questioned the protest.
Police and commuters
The assault on the commuter was unacceptable; police escorted the rider to safety and will take legal action against those who assaulted him.
- Cause of protest
- Arrest of Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin
- Protest leader in Tirunelveli
- Palayamkottai DMK MLA Abdul Wahab
- Blockade location
- Tirunelveli-Madurai Road, Chellapandiyan statue junction, Vannarapettai
- Police response
- Deputy Commissioner Saravanan deployed additional personnel; protesters detained and moved to a private marriage hall
- Arrests in Thoothukudi
- Former minister Geetha Jeevan and around 300 DMK cadre, including women
- Other protest locations
- Tiruchendur, Valliyoor, Tenkasi, Nagercoil, Marthandam and other parts of Kanyakumari district
- Legal action
- Announced against those responsible for public inconvenience and the assault on the rider