Anti-CHOGM activists being taken away by police in Chennai
Around 300 workers of the 'Viduthalai Chiruthaaigal Katchi', including its founder Thol Thirumavalavan, were arrested today for staging a 'rail roko' in parts of Tamil Nadu demanding removal of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth.
The protesters shouted slogans protesting India's participation in the on-going Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka.
While Thirumavalavan and his supporters were arrested in Chennai, VCK activists were also held at Madurai, Namakkal, Virudhunagar, Thanjavur, Erode and Karur, police said.
The Indian delegation in CHOGM is being led by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had skipped the event following strong protests in the state against India's participation.