V K Sasikala, a close aide of former Tamil Nadu chief minister the late Jayalalithaa, will leave for Chennai from a private resort near Devanahalli here in the early hours of Monday.
Hundreds of supporters of Sasikala have descended on Kodagurki village in Devanahalli taluk of Bengaluru Rural district to welcome their leader back to Tamil Nadu.
While the supporters of Sasikala from Tamil Nadu are rejoicing over the arrival of Sasikala, the Bengaluru police have prohibited elaborate receptions till she reaches the inter-state border, citing Covid rules and law and order issues.
The Bengaluru Rural and Bengaluru city police have refused to permit any rally by the supporters.
“We have been informed that Sasikala will leave at around 7.30 am on Monday. We have told the supporters that they should not stop the vehicle in which she will be travelling anywhere till the border with Tamil Nadu. No permission has been given to conduct any rally or procession,” said a senior police officer from Bengaluru Rural.
Vehicles without numbers
With every vehicle bearing Tamil Nadu registration being monitored at the Karnataka border, several supporters of Sasikala arrived at Kodagurki in vehicles with no registration numbers, as they may not be allowed near the resort.
Sources in Bengaluru Rural police said about 300 supporters have reached the resort and are waiting outside in groups. A few priests had also turned up there in the morning, carrying prasadam, following special poojas at temples in Srirangapatna, Trichy and Srivilliputhur.
Row over Tamil posters
Sasikala’s supporters from Tamil Nadu had put up posters and banners wishing her in Tamil, outside the resort.
However, the Tamil banners angered the pro-Kannada organisations, which removed them, triggering tension in the area. The local police intervened and prevented the groups from clashing with each other. The posters had pictures of Sasikala, Jayalalithaa and MGR.