M. Chathrapathy, a Yoga master and an Independent candidate for the Mayoral by-election started meditating on the Collectorate premises here on Monday. It is aimed at grabbing the attention of the District Collector, as the police had denied permission for me to campaign in front of Hotel Tamilnadu at Gandhipuram by meditating, he said.
The police removed him shortly after he started meditating under a tree. Mr. Chathrapathy said that he wanted to carry out a silent campaign in front of the hotel from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to September 16. The Returning Officer for the by-election S. Ganesh had asked him to get permission from the police. Though he went to the Race Course Police Station several times, he was not given permission. So he decided to meditate at the Collectorate in protest against the denial of a basic right of a candidate to campaign,he said. Inspector of Race Course Police Station C. Chandrasekaran said that the candidate was denied permission to campaign in front of the hotel for three days because construction of a fly over was underway. No case was registered against Mr. Chathrapathy, he added.
