Residents of Kalipalayam, near Samalapuram in Tirupur district, where a senior police official slapped a woman agitator some days ago, today staged a demonstration against opening of a TASMAC outlet.

The public, in large number raised slogans against the administration’s move to open the outlet, despite an earlier protest by the residents.

As agitation got stronger, senior district and police officials rushed to the spot and sought one month time to close the shop, police said.

However, to intensify their protest, shopkeepers in the area have decided to close their shops and observe a day’s fast tomorrow to exert pressure on the administration. Power loom units, which are in large number, also extended their support by stopping production for a day.

(Samalapuram had witnessed large scale protest a month ago, over opening liquor shop, which led to lathi charge and the incident, where a ADSP slapping a woman agitator went viral and reached the Human Rights Commission.)

Meanwhile, a group of farmers from Singanallur in the city staged a demonstration inside the district collectorate here protesting against opening of a liquor shop near agriculture land.

Holding banana plantations, the farmers, including women, complained that after consuming liquor, men threw the empty bottles in the agriculture land, which created problem to the crops and also cattle.

As large number of school students, including girls, were moving in the area, it was proving dangerous and considering this the administration should stop giving permission to open wine shops, they said.