TIRUPATTUR: Speakers at anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) meetings had forecast dark days ahead due to the legislation. Lending weight, verbatim, to those statements, scores of protesters at Janta Medu in Vaniyambadi spent Thursday night in complete darkness as the powers that be disconnected power and then removed all electric bulbs from the protest venue.
Following a massive rally, protesters had begun indefinite Shaheen Bagh-like protest at Vaniyambadi on Wednesday night. However, on Thursday evening tahsildar Sivaprakasam and DSP Balakrishnan, among other officials, arrived at the protest venue and put pressure to give up the stir, said sources.
With the protesters refusing to budge, police forced the proprietor, who provided light and sound service, to remove bulbs and lamps from the spot. The power supply was also disconnected, a member of the joint action committee (JAC) against CAA said. Some protesters used cellphone lights and candles to get through the night.
“We are going ahead with the stir and more people are joining us,” coordinator A Nasir Khan said. Meanwhile, police booked 12 people, including Nasir Khan, for holding the stir without permission.
Muslim organisations also launched an indefinite protest at Melvisharam in Arcot in Ranipet district on Friday.