Chennai (PTI): The AIADMK on Monday announced walking out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and said it would lead a separate front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The decision to break away from the NDA was taken at a high level meeting chaired by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami at the AIADMK headquarters here.

Briefing reporters on the deliberations, former Minister and senior leader K P Munusamy said the party has unanimously resolved to part ways with the NDA and steer a combine of like-minded parties in the next year's polls.

The resolution, without naming anyone, said the BJP's state leadership has been of late defaming Dravidian stalwart, the late CN Annadurai and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, besides criticising its policies.

It was obvious the Dravidian party was miffed with BJP state president K Annamalai, whose comments about Annadurai had created a rift between the two erstwhile allies.

Top party office-bearers, district secretaries and MLAs and MPs took part in the AIADMK meet.

Amid bursting of crackers at the party headquarters here, Munsamy said the unanimous decision honours the sentiments and aspirations of over two crore party workers.

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Amritsar, Mar 14 (PTI): A man wielding an iron rod went on an indiscriminate rampage on Friday here at Golden Temple, injuring two 'sewadars' and three devotees, police said.

The man was seen moving in the Guru Ramdas Niwas, also called Guru Ramdas Sarai, of the Golden Temple.

According to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Secretary Partap Singh, the man turned violent when asked about his antecedents and attacked the SGPC employees and the others.

Police said the man hailed from Haryana and was handed over to them by the SGPC after the incident.

The reason behind the attack is under investigation.

The three injured devotees had come to the temple from Mohali, Bathinda and Patiala, while the other two were 'sewadars' of Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), Partap Singh said.

One 'sewadar' and a devotee from Bathinda suffered severe head injuries.

The injured were rushed to Sri Guru Ramdas Hospital at Vallah in a critical condition.

Partap Singh said the attacker and an accomplice of his were apprehended and handed over to the police.

In his appeal to the government and law enforcement agencies, the SGPC Secretary called for no leniency in taking action against the perpetrators.