PMK leader Ramadoss released from prison

Pattali Makkal Katchi founder leader S Ramadoss, whose arrest on April 30 triggered violence in several parts of Tamil Nadu, was on Saturday released from the central prison in Tiruchirappalli after he obtained bail in all five cases against him.

The leader slammed the Jayalalithaa government for arresting him and scores of PMK activists. He also accused the state government of imposing an ‘unannounced emergency' against his party and Vanniayar Sangam, a community outfit and the parent body of PMK.

Ramadoss alleged that the action against the PMK was taken with an eye on the Dalit vote bank. 

He claimed he and his party men were not provided basic amenities in prison.

"I was in prison for 12 days without any basic amenities and we suffered," he told reporters.

When his attention was drawn to the prolonged violence by his party workers, he said, "It would not have occurred if we had not been arrested."

He blamed the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi for the violence.

Ramadoss, along with more than 300 party activists, was arrested in Villupuram on April 30 when he attempted to lead a demonstration over the April 25 Marakkanam violence, allegedly targeting Dalits, in violation of prohibitory orders.

His son and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss was also arrested, but released on bail on Friday.

Ramadoss was later booked in four other cases, including one related to a protest over the Kudankulam nuclear power plant last year.

The arrests triggered violent incidents, including torching and stoning of hundreds of government buses in the past couple of weeks, resulting in the detention of scores of party workers, some of them under the Goondas Act and National Security Act for  lleged hate speech and instigating trouble. 

While PMK cliamed that Dalit outfit VCK was the reason behind the Marakkanam violence, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa blamed the Ramadoss-led party for it.
 
The PMK has demanded a judicial probe into the violence at Marakkanam.

Several political parties, including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, have accused the PMK of attempting to whip up communal passions, but sought the release of Ramadoss.