Anti-CAA Protest In Chennai: TN Police Mulling Legal Action

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu police is considering taking the legal route on a Shaheen Bagh-like street protest in the Old Washermanpet area of Chennai, according to media reports. Protesters agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) clashed with the police and were lathi charged. Some protesters were injured in the lathi charge while several police personnel including Joint Commissioner of Police B. Vijayakumari, suffered injuries when the agitators pelted stones at security forces. Meanwhile, in protests against the police action broke out in many parts of Chennai and elsewhere in the state.

Chennai Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan on Saturday called on Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami with regard to the incident. The senior police official is reported to have briefed him on the situation in the area and elsewhere in the city.

The Chennai Police Commissioner also called on his colleague, Joint Commissioner of Chennai Police, B. Vijayakumari at Apollo Hospitals. The senior lady officer was injured in stone pelting by the agitators in the Washermanpet on Friday. The Commissioner visited three other police personnel admitted to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, including two lady constables.

The Chennai Police Commissioner is reported to have held a meeting with several leaders of Islamic organisations and sought their cooperation for maintenance of law and order.

Meanwhile, DMK chief MK Stalin criticised the Chennai police for the lathi charge against anti-CAA protesters in the Old Washermanpet area and demanded action against erring cops. He also said that the DMK was collecting lakhs to signatures in a petition against the CAA to be forwarded to the President of India.