Chennai:
Tamil Nadu police on Monday foiled a bid by members of a CPM affiliated farmers' body to "forcibly enter" land allegedly encroached by Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, arresting a number of agitators at Tiruvallur near Kaverirajapuram, the native village of the judge.
Police said about 300 protesters were taken into custody. According to B Tulsi Narayanan, District Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, spearheading the agitation besides Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, scores of protesters were stopped at Tiruvallur while proceeding towards Kaverirajapuram, where Justice Dinakaran has allegedly encroached land, a controversy that has affected his elevation to the Supreme Court.
"Since we were stopped at Tiruvallur, we staged a road blockade there itself, after which we were arrested and lodged in two marriage halls," he said, adding members owing allegiance to the two farmers' bodies, besides others, were arrested.
P Shanmugam, Treasurer, AIKS, said five persons including CPM District Secretary K Selvaraj were arrested yesterday after they were invited for "talks" at the DSP's office.
"We lodged a strong protest against the arrests, which could have been done outside the DSP's office, since we were invited there for talks," he said, adding AIKS All-India general secretary K Varadarajan, U Vasuki, secretary, All India Democratic Women's Association and others were arrested today.
Recently, the farmers' body had announced it would "forcibly enter" land allegedly encroached by the judge, prompting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to warn that steps would be taken to maintain law and order if ban orders were violated.
Police said about 300 protesters were taken into custody. According to B Tulsi Narayanan, District Secretary of All India Kisan Sabha, spearheading the agitation besides Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, scores of protesters were stopped at Tiruvallur while proceeding towards Kaverirajapuram, where Justice Dinakaran has allegedly encroached land, a controversy that has affected his elevation to the Supreme Court.
"Since we were stopped at Tiruvallur, we staged a road blockade there itself, after which we were arrested and lodged in two marriage halls," he said, adding members owing allegiance to the two farmers' bodies, besides others, were arrested.
P Shanmugam, Treasurer, AIKS, said five persons including CPM District Secretary K Selvaraj were arrested yesterday after they were invited for "talks" at the DSP's office.
"We lodged a strong protest against the arrests, which could have been done outside the DSP's office, since we were invited there for talks," he said, adding AIKS All-India general secretary K Varadarajan, U Vasuki, secretary, All India Democratic Women's Association and others were arrested today.
Recently, the farmers' body had announced it would "forcibly enter" land allegedly encroached by the judge, prompting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to warn that steps would be taken to maintain law and order if ban orders were violated.
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