AIADMK functionary, kin climb mobile tower in Nandambakkam
Nandambakkam police and fire tender personnel from Guindy rushed to the scene on information
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-08-20 05:18 GMT
Chennai: An AIADMK functionary and his relative climbed atop two mobile phone towers (80 and 120 feet from the ground) opposite the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam on Wednesday morning, condemning TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan’s alleged derogatory remarks about the Jayalalithaa-Modi meeting.
At around 8 am, advocate Rajiv Gandhi (26), a member of the AIADMK legal wing along with his cousin, Vilvadurai (25), climbed atop the tower on the terrace of a building next to their residence on Mount Poonamalee road. Waving flags of the AIADMK party, the two raised slogans condemning the TNCC president. Nandambakkam police and fire tender personnel from Guindy rushed to the scene on information.
Police and rescue personnel attempted to persuade them into climbing down, but the duo did not budge. “Vilvadurai initially came down and again climbed up after which we attempted to use a rope to bring them down,” N.Venkatesan, lead fireman told DC.
Meanwhile, Rajiv Gandhi appeared to have fallen unconscious after which the fire services’ sky lift crane from Teynampet reached the scene. “Rescue operations were also delayed because we had to ensure that all electric lines near the tower were cut off before we used the sky lift to bring them down,” said C. Karthikeyan, assistant district fire officer. Vilvadurai was first bought down.
A few minutes later at around 11 am, Rajiv Gandhi was also tied to a harness and brought down in the skylift, Mr.Karthikeyan said, adding, “He was half unconscious, probably due to the heat and standing at a height.” The two of them were moved to the Government Royapettah Hospital for treatment.
Tuesday saw statewide demonstrations by AIAD MK cadres who took to effigy’ burning and stone pelting in several parts of the state. Congress cadres retorted in a similar way and more than 10 TNCC functionaries were arrested by Nandambakkam police for burning effigies of CM J. Jayalalithaa on Tuesday night.
Protest leads to traffic jam in Chennai
As is the case with such events, an inevitable traffic jam ensued on Mount Poonamallee High road for more than four hours as onlookers gathered to witness the drama and the subsequent rescue operation.
Traffic which slowly started to pile up after the duo climbed atop the tower at around 8 am was slow moving until 1 pm, police said. The bumper-to-bumper traffic remained so even after the rescue operation was complete at 11 am with vehicles moving at a snail’s place, leaving vehicles stranded until Kathipara junction. Traffic personnel had to bring in their seizure trucks to remove the two wheelers parked haphazardly along the road.