Chennai: Police lathicharge protesters demonstrating against CAA, NRC in Washermanpet
Thousands had gathered in protest against the CAA, NRC, and NPR. The situation escalated after police asked protesters to vacate the area.
Chennai Police has reportedly lathi-charged the protesters who had been demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) at Washermanpet in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Thousands had gathered in protest against the CAA, NRC, and NPR. The situation escalated after police asked protesters to vacate the area.
The police resorted lathicharge to remove the protesters and clear the area when the demonstrators did not budge.
During the protests, hundreds of women demanded the release of the protesters who were arrested today. The situation is said to be under control now.
Meanwhile, over 4,000 workers belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and various Hindu outfits on Friday took out a rally seeking support for the Citizenship Amendment Act and to observe the 22nd anniversary of the serial bomb blasts in the city that claimed over 50 lives.
The rally, flagged off by former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan in the evening, comes at a time when the opposition parties have launched anti-CAA protests in various parts of the country.
The procession covered nearly six km to reach RS Puram, where the first blast occurred on February 14, 1998, where BJP leader L K Advani was scheduled to address an election rally on that day. The blasts claimed 58 lives and injured over 200.
Radhakrishnan claimed the state government and police used to disallow such processions for the last 21 years. However, this year, they allowed them to take out a procession and the BJP thanked the government for this, he said.
