At least 2,000 people affiliated to various Muslim outfits have begun marching from the Washermanpet area in Chennai to the State Assembly complex on Wednesday to demand that the AIADMK government pass a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, NRC and NPR.

ANI reported a large number of police personnel have been deployed in view of the ongoing Assembly session.

Protests by Muslim outfits have also been reported from the district headquarters in Thoothukudi and Tiruchi.

The march in Chennai comes after a two-member bench of the Madras High Court had on Tuesday restrained the groups from holding their agitation. The protesting groups had announced plans to lay siege to the Tamil Nadu Assembly complex, where the budget session is starting on Thursday.

A petition—demanding that the protest against the Citizenship Act and Assembly siege be restrained—had claimed that a protest near the Secretariat would lead to complete collapse of normal functioning of the state government.

The state government said prohibitory orders had been imposed for 15 days from February 13 in Chennai, banning any agitation or demonstration.

Protests in Washermanpet began on February 14 when hundreds of people demonstrated against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Scuffles erupted between police and the protesters, leaving several injured. The violence triggered further protests by Muslim groups across Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.