CHENNAI: Chennai, on Saturday, witnessed another wave of protests by youth and activists in four places demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar or his removal from the post. M K Stalin
More than 150 protesters were detained during four separate demonstrations on Saturday. Those detained were released later in the evening, and FIRs were registered in this connection.
Leaders of political parties, including DMK president M K Stalin, condemned the detention of protesters across the country and demanded their immediate release.
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest on Sivananda Salai, where a scuffle broke out with the police. An SFI member sustained head injury and was taken to a government hospital. The CPM held a demonstration near R R Stadium, while the All India United Students’ Federation staged a protest on Anna Salai.
Earlier in the day, over 40 protesters gathered at Elliot’s Beach in Besant Nagar, demanding the CEC’s resignation and opposing the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The police said the protesters had neither obtained permission nor submitted a petition seeking approval. The protesters, on the other hand, said the police denied them permission at the designated venue.
DMK deputy general secretary A Raja and party functionaries expressed their solidarity with the protesters.
Dilip Srinivasan, an activist for civil rights, said Sandeep, a sportsperson who was taking pictures of the activists, was detained. Despite the activists saying he was not part of their demonstration, the police did not release him immediately, because of which he could not take part in a match. Srinivasan said Sandeep was released only after giving an undertaking that he would not take part in any demonstration.
Meanwhile, DMK leader Stalin, in a social media post, said, “I condemn the TVK government for acting as an extension of the BJP and unleashing police repression against protesting students.”
The DMK president said the resignation of the CEC is non-negotiable. He said the union government must immediately end its assault on the youth who are peacefully exercising their democratic right to protest. “Dissent is not a crime, and democracy cannot survive by silencing those who rise to defend it,” he added.
There were protests in Chennai on September 25 and October 8 too demanding the removal of CEC Kumar.
