TRICHY: A protest held by Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) in Thanjavur on Monday turned violent as a police officer slapped a man who wanted to pass through and the man slapping the officer back.Members of the VCK held a road blockade outside the Thanjavur municipal office on Monday after civic authorities removed party’s digital banners erected without permission. The banners were put up across the city in connection with a VCK meeting in Ulundurpet.Protesters gheraoed the municipal premises and blocked Gandhi Road around noon, causing severe traffic congestion. Vehicles on both sides of the road remained stranded for a considerable time.During the protest, a 26-year-old man named Aakash arrived on a two-wheeler. He attempted to pass through the blockade and started honking, sparking an argument with VCK cadres. Special sub-inspector (SSI) Raheem of the West Police Station intervened and asked the man to wait until the demonstration ended. The exchange soon turned heated.The SSI struck Aakash at one point. The youth retaliated by slapping the officer on the cheek, causing him to stagger. Other police personnel quickly intervened and brought the situation under control. When Aakash refused to board the police vehicle, officers forcibly arrested him and took him to the station for questioning.In a statement, Thanjavur district police rejected some news reports that officers had unnecessarily assaulted Aakash, calling them false. Police said Aakash had continuously used disrespectful and abusive language towards police.The primary aim, the statement said, was to prevent the argument between party workers and Aakash from escalating into a larger law-and-order problem. It added that ‘minimal force’ was used solely to contain the situation and avert further disruption.
