CHENNAI: More than 100 people were detained by police during two separate protests in Chennai on Sunday. The protests were organised near Saidapet and in T. Nagar by members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the May 17 Movement.
The SFI and DYFI members gathered near Panagal Maligai in Saidapet to express their support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The party has been holding protests in Delhi demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Meanwhile, members of the May 17 Movement staged a separate protest in T. Nagar against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu. The protesters raised slogans opposing his visit.
Police detained the protesters at both locations to manage the demonstrations. Those detained were released later in the evening.
The protests took place on the same day as the Prime Minister attended an event in Chennai as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya. The programme was held at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam and was attended by around 500 students from different branches of the school.
During his speech, Modi began by apologising to the students for arriving late. The event was scheduled to start at 3 pm but began around 45 minutes behind schedule.
The Prime Minister explained that he had landed in Chennai 10 minutes ahead of his expected arrival time. However, delays in the programme arrangements meant that he reached the event later than planned. He apologised to the students for the inconvenience caused by the delay.
Around 500 students from various branches of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya attended the celebration. According to the students, they had been brought to the venue between 9 am and 10 am and were asked to remain seated inside until the programme began.
The delay meant that students had to wait several hours before the event started. The Prime Minister’s apology acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the late start.
The two protests and the school event took place during the Prime Minister’s visit to Tamil Nadu, which included his participation in public programmes in Chennai. The demonstrations reflected opposition from different groups, while the school celebration marked 50 years of the educational institution.