Reportedly a mini shaheen Bagh materialized in Chennai's Old Washermenpet area late monday night, following police action on protesters agitating against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. As protests demanding 'azaadi' rented the air, close to a thousand men and women from Muslim communities in and around the area joined a sit-in along the bylanes of Thiruvottiyur High Road. Furthermore condemning the police decision to lathi charge at protesters who had gathered there earlier in the day, they also demanded a repeal of the caa, which excludes muslims from its ambit.
Meanwhile according to protesters, they had gathered for an agitation in the area, following the offering of friday prayers at the local mosque. When police came to the venue in the evening, protesters allege that force was used in an attempt to disperse the demonstration. When speaking to TNM, Sahiya, a protester who was allegedly roughed up by the police, said, “When we refused to leave, they pulled us by the hair and dragged us from the road. When we questioned them, they carried us bodily with two people holding our feet up.
Moreover he alleged, “I told them I was wearing a saree and it would be embarrassing because people were taking videos. But they slapped me for saying this, dragged and pushed me into the van. There were five women and 20 men in the van. They took us round the block for sometime and then let us go. We are wounded from being manhandled. They threatened to remand us at the Trichy jail.” Perhaps police excess allegedly began earlier on friday evening, leading to several injuries amongst protesters. One woman police officer reportedly sustained injuries.
