CHENNAI: Around 200 people continued their overnight protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Population Register (NPR) after Chennai police lath-charged the protestors on Friday night at Manadi Street in Washermanpet area.
The protestors, who were earlier protesting on the main road in Washermanpet, agreed to move to Mandi street after being persuaded by senior police officers.
It all began on Friday when a group of protestors were nabbed by the police for staging a demonstration near the Kannan Roundtana, despite warning them to disperse. As the message spread hundreds of people gathered near the Pencil Factory in Old Washermenpet to protest for the same cause.
The protestors, including women and children, raised slogans against the implementation of CAA, NRC and NPR. The protestors blocked the interior streets of Old Washermenpet and the entrance of the Mint Bridge.
The protesters demanded justice for the people who faced police brutality on Friday evening. “The protest was very smooth yesterday but the police blamed us for instigating violence and brutally charged on us. More than 50 of our brothers are severely injured and we need justice for them,” Send Asifa Begum, a protester in the spot.
The protestors have pressed a demand that action must be taken against the police personnel involved in the brutality on Friday evening. “The CAA by nature excludes Muslims from gaining citizenship and it is a divisive law. Our protests will continue until we hear from the state government,” Jawarullah, a protester.
More than 100 people were detained during the protest and later the city police commissioner A K Viswanathan visited the spot and held talks with the protestors to withdraw their protest after which the people were released, police said.
As the news began flooding on social networking sites, a large number of people began protesting in various places across the state.