TN erupts over lathicharge on anti-CAA activists

Protests erupted in several parts of Tamil Nadu, a day after the Chennai police lathicharged antiCAA protesters at Washermanpet here on Friday night, leaving several people including police injured.

Shops remained closed in the Washermanpet area as more than 1,000 people gathered to stage a sit-in condemning the police action against antiCAA protesters.

The violence led to massive protests in at least 10 major towns in the state. Traders in Coonoor shut shops to protest against alleged police atrocities on 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 staged a road roko on Chidambaram-Trichy Highway to condemn the violence while over 500 people were demonstrating in Ramanathapuram district.

Protests erupted in other parts of the state including Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari, Tiruvarur, Virudhunagar and Madurai.

In the state capital, OMR, ECR Roads were fully blocked late on Friday night after the locals and various political parties took to the streets after the news of the police lathicharge spread.

People in Washermanpet continued their protest till afternoon on Saturday. However, they dispersed after Deputy Commissioner Dhinakaran promised them that the department will take necessary action against police personnel involved in the lathicharge.

The protesters from various outfits had gathered for agitation in the area on Friday. They protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the impending National Register of Citizens (NRC) near Lalagunda street in old Washermenpet. As protesters continued to agitate well into the night without paying heed to the police appeal, cops resorted to lathicharge.