Blast rumours before Rahul's Madurai visit create panic

Security was beefed up across Tamil Nadu after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day tour of the state scouting for Youth Congress members and leaders, faced protests from law students in Nagercoil on Tuesday for his “anti-Sri Lankan Tamil” stand.

“Rahul Gandhi shouldn’t be allowed to enter Tamil Nadu because the Congress has been openly supporting the Sri Lankan government in its war against Tamils,” the students said. The accidental death of 60-year-old pensioner Sundaravalli in Madurai corporation, which sparked rumours of a bomb blast, added to the panic. Police sources said Sundaravalli fell to the bullet of security guard Satish Kumar who was cleaning his rifle.

Rahul reached Nagercoil in a helicopter from Trivandrum in the morning and interacted with students of Madurai-Kamaraj University. He met prospective Youth Congress leaders in the evening.

Meanwhile, Chennai Police were put on high alert ahead of Rahul’s overnight stay in the city. The Congress leader will arrive in the state capital on Wednesday morning and spend the night here after attending several programmes in and around the city during the day.