Chennai anti-CAA rally HIGHLIGHTS: Protesters hold up a placard rejecting CAA, NPR and NRC during the anti-CAA rally in Chennai. Express Photo: Harinee Chandrasekaran
Chennai Anti-CAA March Today HIGHLIGHTS: Thousands of people matched to the Secretariat at Fort St. George in Chennai Wednesday to demand that the Tamil Nadu Assembly pass a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The rally began at 10 am from Kalaivanar Arangam.
The march was held despite the Madras High Court passing an interim order Tuesday denying permission for the same. A bench of Justices M Sathyanaraya and R Hemalatha had passed the order on a PIL seeking direction to the police to restrain the protesters from holding the rally. The next hearing is on March 11.
Thousands of police personnel had been deployed to maintain law and order during the rally, while drone cameras were used to monitor the crowd. Additionally, security was heightened at the Secretariat with only government vehicles granted entry to the premises.
Owing to the protest, the shops in the Saja Munusamy and Aziz Mohamed streets in Lala Gunda area are shutdown.
Leaders of the oppposition parties in Tamil Nadu, including MDMK chief Vaiko and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan and DMK MP Kanimozhi met President Ram Nath Kovind in New Delhi and submitted the signature petition against CAA, NPR and NRC today.
On February 16, DMK and its allies had garnered over 2 crore signatures in a signature campaign against the implementation of CAA, NRC and NPR in the country.
The anti-CAA protest rally from Kalaivanar Arangam to the Secretariat, which had been carried out by thousands of citizens in Chennai today concluded in the afternoon. Thousands, including women had protested against at CAA, NRC and NPR at Wallajah Road and Chepauk today.
Traffic, which had been hit during the rally at Chepauk has been restored to normalcy.
Traffic at Chepauk in Chennai was brought to a standstill after protesters blocked the road during the anti-CAA rally in the city today.
Women took the centre stage at the anti-CAA rally in Chennai, as thousands of women protested along Wallajah Road in Chennai near Chepauk.
Cries of 'Azadi' rent the air as thousands of women in Chennai took part in the anti-CAA rally at Chennai.
Thousands of women are taking part in the anti-CAA rally in Chennai today. Following the lathi charge against protesters on February 14 at Washermenpet, women in the city have been an integral part of sit-in protests in the area, protesting against CAA and demanding action against the police officers who were involved in the lathi charge.
Security has been beefed up around the Secretariat at Fort St. George as thousands of protesters march from Chepauk, demanding the members of the legislative Assembly adopt a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Carrying placards against the CAA, NCR and NPR, posters of Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar, and the Indian flag, protesters marched amid tight police deployment. The police can be seen using drones to control the crowd.
Thousands of police personnel have been deployed after the Madras High Court denied permission to the protesters to carry out their rally.
Opposition DMK has attempted to raise the controversial citizenship law during the ongoing Budget session. DMK chief M K Stalin Monday said a resolution should be passed in the Assembly, and sought government action against police personnel who resorted to lathicharge. He also asked for cases against the protesters to be withdrawn. However, Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal said the state assembly does not have the provision to pass a resolution against CAA.
Protests have been held sporadically across Tamil Nadu since the controversial legislation was passed in Parliament in December. Several organisations and student bodies have staged protests, demanding the law be withdrawn. Days ago, a large protest began in Washermanpet — it is underway for the fifth consecutive day today — after the city police resorted to lathicharge at an anti-CAA demonstration last week.
DMK MP Kanimozhi took to Twitter today to address the appointment of six officers in the State to monitor anti-CAA, NRC and NPR protests across Tamil Nadu. "Is the govt sending a message to anti CAA protestors?", she tweeted.
Thousands of citizens have joined the rally against CAA along Wallajah Road in Chennai today.
Movement of vehicles along Anna Salai towards Wallajah Road has been restricted, with anti-CAA protesters carrying out a rally at Wallajah Road. Buses heading towards the Secreatariat along Napiers Bridge have been divereted towards Sivananda Salai.
Thousands of citixens are protesting against CAA across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Puducherry, even as citizens in Chennai are carrying out a rally to the Secretariat to urge the house to pass a resolution against CAA today.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies garnered over 2 crore signatures during an anti-CAA signature campaign in the State. The signed petitions, which were disclosed on Sunday were all addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind againt the implementation of CAA, NRC and NPR in the country.
Anti-CAA protesters in Chennai commenced their rally in the city at Chepauk. Gathering at Wallajah Road, the protesters will be marching to the Secretariat to demand the house to pass a resolution against CAA.
Meanwhile, thousands of police personnel have been deployed on the roads to maintain law and order during the rally. Armed with protective gear, the police have been instructed to arrest violators.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami defended the police action against protesters in Chennai's Washermenpet on February 14. He said that the police had arrested people for staging a protest without permission and added that the government had received information that few toxic elements are instigating the protests.
“The protest in Washermanpet took place without permission. Hundreds of women and men took to the streets and blocked the roads causing disruption to public peace. When the police personnel tried to disperse them, they damaged the public property. Slippers, stones, and water bottles were hurled at the police. 82 people are arrested until now in connection with the protests. Few toxic elements are trying to instigate the protesters", he said.
READ | Anti-CAA protest enters fourth day, CM defends police action
The Chief Minister added that the ‘Amma’ government will never act against the interest of minorities and appealed to the Muslim communities to ignore rumors and co-operate for communal harmony.
Thousands of women are expected to take part in the rally against CAA in Chennai today. Following the lathi charge against protesters in Chennai's Washermenpet on February 14, women in the city have been organising sit-in protests at Washermenpet against the police excess and demanding action against those involved in the lathi charge against anti-CAA protesters.
READ | Chennai: Police lathicharge anti-CAA protesters; 150 in custody
Over 4000 police personnel have been deployed in and around Chepauk to maintain law and order during the anti-CAA rally in Chennai today. A K Viswanathan, the Commissioner of Police said that violators will be detained during the march, with the Madras High Court having denied protesters permission to carry out the rally.
The Chennai City Poliec have tightened security in the Secretariat ahead of the anti-CAA rally by protesters today. Police are carrying out stringent vehicle checks and only government vehicles with valid IDs are being granted entry at Fort St. George.
The anti-CAA rally in Chennai will commence at 10 am today. The protesters will begin at Kalaivanar Arangam and proceed along Kamarajar Salai before reaching the Secretariat at Fort St. George.
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