CHENNAI: Protesters opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act have faced several forms of intimidation and hurdles. The unexpected of them all was the COVID-19. The Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ) was booked on Thursday for ‘negligently spreading dangerous disease’ by assembling 3,000-odd people for the Wednesday protest. Following this, the TNTJ has cancelled all its programs until March 31. They protested in front of Kuralagam in Parry’s on Wednesday. The TNTJ protesters claimed that CAA and NRC are more dangerous than Covid-19. The city police booked them under IPC section 269 (Whoever unlawfully or negligently does any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life).
Cops crack down on rumours
A total of 11 persons have been booked in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai for spreading false information on COVID-19. In Tiruvannamalai, a college student (20) was arrested for spreading false information via WhatsApp. In Vellore, 10 persons were booked by the police for spreading false information after they ‘instigated’ a protest against the setting up of a quarantine facility for COVID-19 suspects at a hostel block in DMK College.
The protesters were worried that those living in the surroundings of the facility could catch the disease.
Meanwhile, a college girl is caught in the eye of a storm after her medical records were leaked from the Sulur government hospital. Now, her photograph and records are going viral on social media with the false information that she has tested positive for the disease.