Over 7000 activists taken into custody in various dists

More than 7000 workers of various political parties, led by the DMK, were taken into custody today for attempting to stage road roko in various districts demanding rollback of the recent bus fare hike.
Besides DMK, activists of the Congress, the Left parties, DMDK and VCK, staged protests in Erode, Cuddalore, Erode, Thanjavur, Coimbatore, Tirupur and Nilgiris districts.
In Coimbatore, DMK MLA, N Karthik, former minister, Pongalur N Palanisamy and district leaders of CPI, VCK, MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi participated in the protests.
As the workers attempted to squat in the middle of the road, police arrested over 1,000 persons, police said.

Similarly, over 1,000 workers were arrested in nearby Tirupur and around 500 in Nilgiris districts.
Over 5000 activists were taken into custody in various parts of Erode district when they attempted to stage road roko.

Buses were plying normally, police said.
Former union ministers T.R.Baalu and S.S.Palanimanikkam participated in the protests at Thanjavur where 192 activists were taken into custody.
More than 450 workers of various parties were taken into custody at Cuddalore.