NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, FEB 15
Parties led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday lashed out at the police for alleged use of force on anti-CAA protesters here and sought action against personnel involved in it.
With the government coming under opposition attack over the violence, the ruling AIADMK reaffirmed its commitment to the Muslim community and said “Goebbels like propaganda” against it would not work.
The city police asked the public to not to share any “provocative” messages on social media in this connection, even as anti-CAA protests by members of the Muslim community continued in different parts of the state.
Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister RB Udayakumar said the “Amma government” had always accorded high priority for the welfare of Muslims and saw to it that they were not “even minutely affected” in any way.
Speaking to reporters in Madurai, he said Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his Deputy O Panneerselvam were “protecting the Muslims like their children and family members”. “Those unable to stomach this are unleashing lies and Goebbels like propaganda, but that will not benefit them. The people will also not believe them,” he said.
Friday turned out into black night: Stalin
DMK President M K Stalin said Friday’s protests had been held in a peaceful manner and sought to know why the police used force to disperse them.
“Lathicharge was done unnecessarily on the peaceful people for no reason and this prompted people across the state to take to the streets,” Stalin said in a statement.
He said Friday had been turned into a “black night” for the protesters by the police.
On Friday, an anti-CAA protest by Muslims had turned violent, with reports of police force and lathicharge on protesters. Several people were reportedly wounded in the protests, including four police personnel.
The incident had led to sporadic protests across Tamil Nadu, including at Washermanpet in the city, where the violence erupted, but protesters subsequently called off the agitation, following talks with City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan.
Protest in Delhi
A group of people, including students of Jamia Millia Islamia, held a protest near the Tamil Nadu House here on Saturday over the alleged lathicharge by the Chennai police on anti-CAA demonstrators.
The small group of protesters, which also included a couple of young women, tried to march from the Bihar Bhawan towards the Tamil Nadu House, and raised anti-BJP and anti-RSS slogans in Tamil.
The protesters were detained midway as they tried to march towards the Tamil Nadu House in Chanakyapuri, police said. Later, a few more people, including women, were also detained. The call for the protest here was given by the Jamia Coordination Committee.
