A few people gathered at the Besant Nagar area in Chennai to draw kolams against CAA and NRC. (Photo: India Today)

In the wake of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) protests, the Chennai Police on Sunday detained seven people for drawing kolams (Rangoli-like patterns) on the streets of Besant Nagar, which read, "No to CAA", "No to NRC".

Kolam is a traditional rangoli. People in Tamil Nadu draw kolams outside their homes on an everyday basis.

The detainees, including four women, had gathered in Besant Nagar area to protest against the newly amended citizenship law, said sources.

Chennai: Police releases the seven persons who were detained earlier today in Besant Nagar over charges of unlawful assembly and for making rangoli against #CitizenshipAmendmentAct, without prior permission. #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/jcj0hCjFA4 ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2019





The protesters were detained by the police when they were seen sketching kolam designs which read, "No CAA" on the streets of Besant Nagar, added sources.

Chennai Police detained the protesters on charges of 'unlawful assembly', and also for not seeking prior permission for the rangoli protest.

The detainees were later released, said sources.

DMK chief MK Stalin condemned the detention of the protesters who drew kolam and showcased their protest against CAA and NRC.

In a Facebook post, the DMK leader said that the AIADMK government is taking away people’s constitutional right to dissent.





He also demanded that the cases filed against the protesters should be withdrawn.

The nation continues to remain on edge as protests in several states--West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Assam--have rocked the country over the contentious CAA.

Earlier this week, DMK president M K Stalin and several others were booked for holding the agitation without permission in Tamil Nadu. Thousands of people took part in the rally called by the DMK and its allies to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Madras City Police Act has been invoked against the protestors for taking out the DMK-led rally, a senior police official said.

In the last few weeks, several protesters have been detained for expressing dissent in the form of peaceful demonstrations.

Last week in Uttar Pradesh the police reportedly detained at least five people, and the death toll in the state mounted to 17 over following the violence that uprooted in the state over CAA.

In a similar case, in the national capital, the Delhi police nearly detained 40 people after violence erupted over anti-CAA protests in the capital.

CAA aims to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.