New Delhi - Political parties and pressure groups Wednesday called a general strike in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu to protest Sri Lanka's military offensive against the Tamil rebels.

Some incidents of violence were reported as protestors blocked trains, stoned buses and ransacked a post office in different parts of the state.

At least 30 students were arrested for attempting to blockade roads in state capital Chennai where nearly 8,000 police were deployed, local police said.

Coimbatore, Feb. 2 : Hundreds of Sri Lankan Tamils, who have taken refuge in India, went on a hunger strike on Monday here, demanding an intervention from the Central Government on the issue of the military offensive being carried out on the hideouts of the rebels in Sri Lanka.

The agitating people also threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike if the Government does not respond to their demands.

Mahabalipuram, Feb 2 : Architectural treasures and beautiful beaches of Mahabalipuram are attracting tourists in large numbers.

Mahabalipuram town lies on the Coromandel Coast, which faces the Bay of Bengal. The cave temples here, which are considered architectural treasure houses, have recently become a tourists'''' hot spot.

Chennai/Colombo, Feb. 2 : Tamil Nadu and South Zone fast bowler Laxmipathy Balaji has been recalled to the Indian team. He will replace Munaf Patel in the squad that is playing an ODI series in Sri Lanka.

Munaf sustained a groin injury and was forced to return home after the second ODI.

A cricinfo report said that Balaji last played for India in an ODI in 2005 in Sri Lanka before a stress fracture forced him out of the game.

Chennai, Jan. 28 : The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) criticized the Center over External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee''s visit to Colombo after the Sri Lankan army''s successful operation against the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).

Hundreds of MDMK activists took to streets here to protest against the Sri Lankan military's offensive against the Tamil rebels.

MDMK's general secretary Y. Gopalaswamy(Vaiko), while criticizing Mukherjee's visit to Sri Lanka said that he (Mukherjee) had actually gone to Colombo to participate in the victory celebrations of the Sri Lankan government over the Tamil rebels.

Coimbatore, Jan 28 : Coconut and palm growers spearheaded an agitation in Tamil Nadu demanding the State Government to lift a ban on production and sale of ''Toddy'', a traditional drink of the state.

''Toddy'', a local drink extracted from either a coconut tree or a Palm tree flower has been banned in the state since 1987 for being an alcoholic drink.

The farmers want the government to exempt toddy from the list of alcohol products banned in the State.