Tension ran high near the Thiruvalluvar bus stop in Gandhipuram as members of the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) attacked a minivan carrying DMK and Congress supporters and burned the Congress flag in Coimbatore on Saturday. The incident occurred when the TPDK members staged a black flag demonstration against Rahul Gandhi’s Coimbatore visit.

The minivan was carrying the members of the DMK and Congress from Sivananthapuram, to the VOC grounds, where Rahul Gandhi was to address a public gathering.

Rahul Gandhi was to visit Tamil Nadu, to address public meetings in Madurai, Coimbatore, and Chennai, as part of the assembly election campaigns. But the TPDK had earlier announced that they would protest against the visit, because, according to them, the Congress had helped the Sri Lankan government in the Eelam war, in which many Tamils were killed.

The members had also protested during the visit of Sonia Gandhi, on May 5. Raising slogans against the Congress party, the members also said that Rahul should not be allowed into Tamil Nadu.

Around then, a minivan carrying party supporters for the meeting crossed the area. The angry TPDK members blocked the vehicle, tore up the Congress party flag and burned it even as the police tried to snatch the flag away. They then attacked the vehicle and blocked the road.

Police arrested the violent protesters, including women and children, and cleared the way for the minivan.