TIRUVANNAMALAI: Police on Saturday detained Swaraj Abhiyan founder Yogendra Yadav along with his two aides in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. The leaders were at Kanchi village of the district to meet farmers who are protesting against the construction of the Salem-Chennai expressway.
Yadav, however, claimed that he was arrested en route to a private meeting with agitating farmers.
When Express contacted the collector, he said,"The district administration had given permission to Yogendra Yadav and others to hold a discussion on farmers' issues among themselves only under the supervision of police officials at Kanchi village."
Deputy Superintendent of Police Chengam told Express that Yogendra Yadav and two other farmers' leaders were not arrested and no case has been lodged against them. They leaders were only detained twice on the day, he added.
On the invitation of the movement against Chennai-Salem eight-lane highway road project, Yadav, along with trade union leader Dalip Singh, farmers' leader from Odisha Lingaraj, state convener of Swaraj India K Balakrishnan and joint convener for the movement against the road project Arul Arumugam.
Yadav had come to listen to the grievances of farmers protesting against acquisition of their lands for the proposed Chennai-Salem expressway project. However, he, along with the others, were all detained on Saturday morning before meeting the farmers in the village.
In a tweet, he said he clearly mentioned in writing that he had only come to listen to the grievances of the farmers and not indulge in protest of any kind. He claimed to have been detained illegally.
Out of the five members who were detained by police on Saturday morning, two of them Yogendra Yadav and Arul Arumugham, and Chandra kumar, convener of Movement against Chennai-Salem eight-lane highway project, have now been detained at a new location on Kanchi road.
"We were released at 5.00 pm. While we were going to meet farmers at their houses, we were again intervened by police and they detained us at a marriage hall on Kanchi road," said Arul Arumugam.
When Express had contacted Yogendra Yadav earlier today, he said, "We met around 35 farmers at Arul Arumugham's house at Athipaadi village in Tiruvannamalai district at around 8.30 am. After a while, we had left for a meeting with farmers. While the four of us were en route to meet the aggrieved farmers, police stopped us and prevented us from going to the meeting. When Arul was capturing video, he was dragged by police, and all of us were manhandled by them. They drove us to a marriage hall at Erayur where we had been detained."
"I had heard about the police reign of terror against farmers who come out protesting against an eight-lane project, and I have now personally seen it. I had also spoken to district collector K S Kandasamy about acquisition and complaints of police excesses, and to which the collector had denied such interferences. The police had alleged that I am a threat to law and order. I had come here to meet farmers and no matter what, I shall follow my conscience and meet them," he added.
Meanwhile, DMK President MK Stalin has condemned Yogendra Yadav's detention.
"The intolerant AIADMK government will pay the price for denying people the democratic right to dissent and protest," said Stalin.
(With inputs from Shyamsundar N)