CHENNAI: The Kancheepuram police, on Thursday, allegedly prevented Samsung workers from protesting at their usual site in Echoor village in Sriperumbudur. CITU Kancheepuram secretary E Muthukumar and A Soundararajan, general secretary of CITU were placed under preventive arrest.
On Thursday, protesting workers had planned to re-instal the pandal which was dismantled by the police on Wednesday morning. However, the police did not allow them near the protest site, they said. Around 400 workers then gathered at a different site, a few kilometres away from the earlier one where they were met by political leaders including Naam Tamilar Katchi founder Seeman.
Union members said Muthukumar was picked up by the police while he was travelling in a service lane near Sunguvarchatram around 11.15 am. Soundararajan was picked up later that morning. Both were released later in the day.
Apart from this, CITU members also said that 32 protesting workers were detained at a wedding hall when they arrived at the protest site. They were also let off on Thursday evening.
However, Kancheepuram police officials that TNIE spoke to denied that 32 workers were detained.
“We placed Muthukumar and Soundararajan under preventive arrest. We have not detained any of the workers,” a police official said. The official refused to disclose the reasons for the preventive arrest.
Stir might affect TN’s reputation: Assochem
Chennai: Assocham Tamil Nadu State Development Council said the Samsung strike is threatening to tarnish the positive momentum that TN has achieved, and it could deter potential investors, negatively impacting the state’s reputation as a preferred destination for manufacturing and technology. Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, Assocham chairman and Tamil Nadu State Development Council co-founder and executive director of Kauvery Hospitals, urged Samsung employees to return to work and engage in constructive negotiations with the management. “We believe through open communication and compromise, a resolution that benefits everyone can be reached,” Assocham said in a statement.