Police arrest 8 people for using 'rangoli' to protest against CAA in Chennai

Chennai: Eight people, including five women, were detained briefly on Sunday when they staged an anti-CAA protest here by drawing 'kolams' (rangoli), police said.

Opposition DMK hit out at the AIADMK government for the police action, saying the detained persons were only exercising their right to protest.

The eight were picked up for holding the protest without permission and causing inconvenience to others, a senior police official said adding they were later let off.

Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act are continuing in several parts of Tamil Nadu by political parties and civil society groups for the past several days.

On Sunday, the group of eight held the protest in the Besant Nagar locality in South Chennai.

They used the 'kolams' to express opposition to the CAA and National Register of Citizens and National Population Register and raised slogans "No to NRC" and "No to NPR" before police took them into custody.

"We warned them and later let them off," the police official added.

Those detained alleged they were manhandled and their phones were snatched by police.

DMK President M K Stalin and party Lok Sabha MP Kanimozhi slammed the police action.

In a tweet, Stalin hit out at the AIADMK government and said the police "has not even allowed the basic right under the Constitution" to voice dissent. MP Kanimozhi also criticised the government for the police action against the anti-CAA protesters.