Violence in east ahead of polls

Three Muslims were shot as they came out from prayers around 8 p.m. at Karbala village in Kattankudy last night as tension increased ahead of the proposed local elections. They were rushed to Batticaloa hospital and the condition of the two of them was reported to be serious.

Additional police and troops were rushed to the area to prevent any backlash. Meanwhile the Pillaiyan Group cadres are alleged to have shot dead two government servants and a businessman who reportedly turned down the group’s demand to contest the upcoming local elections in Batticaloa on their ticket.

The latest of the three killings took place on Friday night when suspected Pillaiyan Group gunmen stormed the victim’s house at Ariyampathi and shot him dead. The other two victims were killed on Wednesday and Monday. All three victims were supporters of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

The businessman killed was identified as K. Yagarasa (45) while the other two were Volunteer Teachers’ Union President Parasuram Nandakumar (31) from Santhiveli and retired lab assistant Marimuttu Arumugam (58). In a related development, two more people were abducted by the Pillaiyan Group, which is a breakaway faction of the Karuna Group, in Batticaloa this week.

It is alleged that members of the Pillaiyan Group are visiting houses of former TNA candidates and forcing them to contest the local polls on the TMVP (Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal) ticket. Nominations for the Batticaloa Municipal Council and eight other local councils in the district will be received from January 18 to 25.

In pre-election violence, an SLMC vehicle was smashed up in Valaichchenai allegedly by supporters of Minister Amir Ali. SLMC high command member M.L.A.M. Hisbulla said he and his supporters were threatened and chased away by Minister Ali’s supporters when they were holding a meeting at Valaichchenai yesterday.

Mr. Hisbulla said Mr. Ali supporters interrupted the SLMC meeting and threatened that other than the UPFA, no other party would be allowed to contest the upcoming local polls in Batticaloa.