THIRUVANNAMALAI: Protesters burned the Government Order (GO) of the proposed eight-lane Chennai-Salem express highway project near Radha lodge circle in Tiruvannamalai on Friday morning. Protests were staged at two locations - Arivoli Park and Radha Lodge circle. When protesters trickled in in an attempt to burn the GO at Arivoli Park, police personnel arrested them.
However, at Radha lodge circle, police remanded 64 protesters who burnt the GO, terming their action as an offence. "The protesters were arrested under section 147- punishment for rioting, section 153- wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot, section 341- punishment for wrongful restraint, section 188- disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant and section 505 (1) b- with intent to cause, or which likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public," said a senior police official in Tiruvannamalai. Members of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam - Tiruvannamalai burnt the GO and Ravindran - district secretary of (TNVS) led the protest. Later, he was remanded by the police.
The protesters raised slogans condemning the state government for thrusting unwanted project upon farmers and public. Farmers, members of Communist Part of India (Marxist) and some fringe groups have been fighting against the government demanding the project to be withdrawn as it would cause irreversible damage to environment and endanger the lives of farmers and farm labourers.
However, the state government is unheeding to the demands of the protesters and is working on the project by way of taking surveys of lands that are going to acquired and erecting stones on the same lands in the district.
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