Mullaiperiyar issue: Autos stay off roads

VELLORE: Auto Rickshaws in Tiruppathur, Pernambut and Gudiyatham stopped operations on Monday, condemning the Kerala government in connection with the Mullaiperiyar issue. Tiruppathur has nearly 20 autorickshaw stands. On Monday, 600 autos plying from Tiruppathur to Kandhili, Jolarpet, Pudhupet, Bommikuppam, Vishamangalam and other areas stayed off the roads. Students and office goers were the worst affected due to the strike called by the members of the auto drivers federation.In Pernambut, over 140 autos stopped operations during the one-day strike. As share autos also participated in the strike, government buses were crowded. Autorickshaws in Gudiyatham also didn’t operate on Monday, condemning the Kerala government and the attack on Tamils in Kerala. Meanwhile, students of the Government Muthurangam Arts College in Vellore, boycotted classes and protested on Monday, condemning the Union and Kerala governments on the Mullaiperiyar issue.Around 2,500 students of both the day and evening college took part in the protest. The protest was held for over an hour.