Party workers of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) led by Anbumani Ramadoss clashed with the police outside the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) premises in Cuddalore district on Friday, July 28, following their protest against NLCs acquisition of farmlands. At the protest, PMK president Anbumani said that the party condemns the government for handing over agricultural land to NLC and demanded that the NLC be disbanded from the state immediately.

According to TV media reports, the protestors hurled stones on the arch gate that leads into the NLC premises and on the police vehicles which were present at the protest site. The PMK president along with his cadres also tried to force-enter the NLC premises by breaking through the barricades which were placed at the gate. To control the protestors, the police detained Anbumani following which the party workers damaged the windshield of two police vehicles and hurled stones at the police.

The police then charged with batons, fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse the protestors, reports said. The police also fired a couple of rounds into the air. Police security has been beefed up in Neyveli following the protests.

#WATCH | Tamil Nadu | Leaders and workers of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) protested against NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) in Cuddalore today. Police opened baton charge and used water cannons to disperse them. PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and several others were later… pic.twitter.com/FRKVAC8LZI

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2023

On July 26, NLC took possession of the fertile agricultural lands located in Valayamadevi in Chidambaram for expanding mining operations. Officials from NLC claimed that the land which they have recently taken possession of belonged to the company and that farmers encroached it from 2006 since the company hadn’t fenced the boundaries. The farmers who had cultivated crops in NLC’s land were compensated, NLC claimed.