Protests against Jayalalithaa's conviction completes a week, likely to continue

Chennai: Protests and fasts continued in Tamil Nadu over jailing of AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa in the illegal assets case with bus services being suspended in many districts and a private schools' federation announcing that their schools would remain closed on October 7.

Officials said passengers were affected as over 6,000 private buses suspended their services in the state, barring three districts, protesting the conviction of Jayalalithaa by a Special Court at Bangalore on September 27.

Responding to the call given by the Federation of Bus Operators' Association of Tamil Nadu, private bus services were suspended in all districts, barring Chennai, Nilgiris and Kanyakumari. Inter-district, intra-district and private buses plying inside towns were part of the strike, officials said.

Protests by AIADMK workers and Jayalalithaa supporters continued with some of them conducting special prayers in temples for the speedy release of their leader.

AIADMK legislators and Chennai Mayor S Duraisamy wore black shirts and observed a fast at the memorial of party founder M G Ramachandran (MGR) at the Marina beach.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu announced that private schools across the state would remain closed on October 7.

Over 4,500 private schools would not function protesting the jailing of Jayalalithaa, while principals and administrators of these schools would hold a protest in front of the School Education Department in Chennai on that day, D C Elangovan, Secretary, Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, said in Salem.

A Coimbatore report said some 800 private buses did not ply in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts with their owners, drivers and conductors observing one-day strike.

Police said passengers were put to a lot of hardship due to the strike, as about 350 buses in the city, 150 in Pollachi and 210 in Tirupur did not run.

Meanwhile, about 20 employees of a Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation liquor outlet staged a demonstration in Coimbatore seeking early release of Jayalalithaa, they said.