Day after police lathicharge anti-CAA protesters in Chennai, stir spreads across TN
Several parts of Tamil Nadu are witnessing protests Saturday, a day after the Chennai Police lathicharged anti-CAA protesters in Washermanpet, leaving several injured. Shops in the locality remained closed today, as more than 1,000 women gathered to stage a sit-in protest in the area.
According to news agency PTI, four police personnel including a woman joint commissioner P Vijayakumari, two women constables and a sub-inspector were injured.
The protesters from various outfits said they were holding a peaceful agitation last evening when the police intervened and resorted to lathicharge. "Many were injured, some were brutally beaten up," said an eyewitness.
The violence has led to sporadic protests in at least a dozen major towns in the state. Traders in Coonoor have shut shop to protest the alleged police atrocities against anti-CAA protesters in Chennai. There were reports of protests in Tiruchendur also.
Over 1,000 people carried out a protest outside a post office in Kumbakonam district, while another protest took place at Melapalyam in Nellai. The protesters have staged road roko on the Chidambaram-Trichy Highway in Tamil Nadu to condemn the violence while over 500 people are demonstrating in Ramanathapuram district.
Opposition condemns police action against anti-CAA protesters
Opposition parties led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday lashed out at the police action against anti-CAA protesters and sought action against those police personnel who allegedly used force against the agitators.
DMK President M K Stalin said the protests were being held in a peaceful manner and sought to know why the police used force to disperse them.
Stalin demanded that any cases in this connection should also be withdrawn and sought action against policemen who allegedly resorted to lathicharge. Hitting out at the AIADMK, the DMK chief said while the ruling party had voted in favour of the amended Citizenship Act in the Parliament, it was also not enacting an Assembly resolution against CAA, a demand put forth by his party.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader T T V Dhinakaran also targeted the government over the handling of the protest. "Using force in peaceful protests amounts to stirring up a hornet's nest," the independent legislator said in a statement. He wished such incidents did not repeat.
The Vaiko-led MDMK adopted a resolution in its district secretaries meeting, slamming the police for allegedly using force against protestors, reported PTI.
BJP leader H Raja slams violence against police personnel
BJP leader H Raja, whose party is an ally of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, slammed the violence against police personnel in the protests. In a tweet, he said "rioters should be dealt with an iron fist."
(Inputs from theindianexpress)
