Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Mar 2 : Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko and 184 others, who were arrested for showing black flags at External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee last week, were granted bail by a local court on Monday.

Judicial Magistrate I M N Kumar ordered their release after they furnished a personal surety of Rs 5,000 each.

Vaiko along with his party cadre had assembled in front of the BSNL’s general manager’s office on February 28 to show black flags to Mukherjee in protest at the Union Government’s inaction on the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.

Mukherjee was in Tuticorin to inaugurate a power project.

The protestors had also burnt a portrait of Mukherjee. All arrested were remanded to judicial custody and lodged in the Palayamkottai Central Jail. (ANI)