PUDUCHERRY/YANAM: With the violence that erupted at the Regency Ceramics factory in Yanam, an enclave of the union territory in Andhra Pradesh, spilling on to the streets and causing panic among the people, police imposed Section 144 to bring the situation under control.Two battalions of Andhra Pradesh police reached the riot-hit region to help the Yanam police. Andhra Pradesh DGP V Dinesh Reddy told newsmen at Vijayawada that the State police will extend all necessary help to restore normalcy.In a statement to Bombay Stock Exchange, the Regency Ceramics Limited authorities claimed that the workers attacked their plant leading to the tragic incidents even as the conciliation proceedings before the labour commissioner are in process to bring out an amicable agreement over the demands of workers.The company management said the workers caused severe damage to equipment and the plant apart from beating up staff and co-workers during the morning shift. Sources in Puducherry said that violence broke out after union president, Muralimohan Rao, belonging to dalit community, died under ‘suspicious’ circumstances. He was allegedly picked up by the Yanam police after the staff gathered near the factory. The arrested workers were allegedly beaten up and tortured at the police station following which, Muralimohan Rao died.With hundreds of workers gathering outside the police station, demanding action against the personnel responsible for the ‘murder’, the situation went out of control and police opened fire. With the news about the clash spreading, hundreds believed to be the dalit leader’s supporters from nearby areas of Yanam went on a rampage.The factory’s public relations officer was also injured seriously in the mob violence and was admitted to a Kakinada hospital. It is said that the dalits in the nearby areas were agitated over the desecration of Ambedkar statues recently, and the death of the dalit worker only added to their fury.Meanhile, SSP (Law and Order) V J Chandran, who is responsible for law and order in Yanam, claimed that the workers’ leader Muralimohan died due to heart attack. He told Express that the workers of the factory were on an agitation to press for their various demands for nearly a month and the police had picked up the workers after they gathered near the factory on Friday . He said there was some tiff while they were being taken to the police station. DIG I D Shukla and SP G P Palanivelu have rushed to Yanam from Puducherry.Yanam, a former French colony, is under the control of Puducherry.
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