There is no stopping the protests that have erupted in Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Tiruvannamalai against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Several Muslim outfits had called for a State-wide agitation and a siege on the Chennai Secretariat on Wednesday.
In the districts, protesters gathered in front of their respective Collectorates and raised slogans against the BJP and the AIADMK for creating a sense of insecurity among the minorities. More than 700 people gathered on the service road on the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway. Their protest went on for over an hour.
There was heavy police deployment near the Collectorate and the roads adjoining the Collector’s office. Traffic was diverted on service roads and the Arcot Road for a while, due to the protest.
Several leaders from the Jamath addressed the participants, and talked of the need for such peaceful protests to address the issue. The CAA and the NRC would not just affect the minorities in India, but also the Tamils in Sri Lanka who have been living here for the past three decades, they pointed out. They urged the participants not to provide details to officials when approached for updation of records, as part of NRC.
Security stepped up
A similar protest was organised from the Collector’s office in Tiruvannamalai, and over 400 people participated in the agitation. Some 900 policemen were stationed at important junctions in Tiruvannamalai.
More than 250 policemen put up barricades in front of the Collectorate in Vengikal, preventing the protesters from barging in. Collectorate staff were allowed inside on showing identity cards, and those who visited the office were screened by the police.
In Tirupattur, over 800 participants took part in the agitation, and in Ranipet, 500 took part. In Ranipet, the protest lasted for about an hour, said sources.
