Two police officers injured, reinforcement rushed to sensitive places

Hundreds of members of Islamic outfits took to the streets and blocked roads at many places in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Friday night, hours after the Chennai police resorted to lathicharge in an attempt to disperse a large group of anti-CAA protesters at Washermenpet.

Long distance bus services were hit at many places. Arterial roads, including Anna Salai and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai in Vadapalani in Chennai, and parts of the East Coast Road witnessed major traffic snarls.

Large numbers of people gathered at key junctions in Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Salem, Tiruchi, Vaniyambadi, Tirupathur, Krishnagiri, Villupuram and many other places in the State condemning the “police assault”.

Supporters several Muslim outfits stage a protests late on February 14, 2020 at Kotakuppam in Villupuram district near Puducherry condemning use of force by police on anti-CAA protesters earlier in the day Chennai. | Photo Credit: T. Singaravelou

​In Salem, mofussil and town buses were stranded for up to a kilometre due to a protest near the New Bus Stand. In Tiruchi, members of the TMMK staged protests at several places seeking the release of their leader Hyder Ali.

Earlier, a huge crowd of anti-CAA protesters, largely comprising Muslims, assembled peacefully in north Chennai. But sections of the crowd turned restive after the police attempted to disperse them. Joint Commissioner of Police Vijayakumari and the Rajamangalam Inspector were injured in the melee. Some protesters were beaten up by the police.

The police heightened surveillance across the State.