The Triplicane police have registered a case against over 1,000 members of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), including its president G.K. Mani and youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss, for violating lockdown norms and staging a protest on Tuesday.
The Nungambakkam police registered cases against Mr. Mani, former Union Minister A.K. Moorthy, and over 160 workers for staging a protest at Valluvar Kottam on Wednesday in violation of lockdown norms.
PMK founder S. Ramadoss had announced protests from December 1, demanding 20% separate reservation for the Vanniyars in education and employment in Tamil Nadu.
Traffic on GST Road in the southern suburbs was paralysed for hours on Tuesday morning as PMK workers blocked the road near Perungalathur when the police prevented them from entering the city for staging a demonstration.
The Chennai city police registered a case against Dr. Anbumani and other leaders under the Indian Penal Code and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
Later in the day, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss addressed the workers on Anna Salai and met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and senior Ministers at the Secretariat.
On Wednesday, the party workers and leaders, including Mr. Mani and Mr. Moorthy, staged a demonstration at Valluvar Kottam. “Though it is a space allocated for agitations, we have registered a case as protests are not allowed during the pandemic,” said a police officer.
‘Anbumani absconding’
The police have mentioned Dr. Anbumani as absconding in the case filed for Tuesday’s protests.
This was because “... he did not court arrest like the others, but went to meet the Chief Minister straight from the agitation spot,” an officer said.
