About 300 members of Bharatiya Janata Party and various Hindu organisations, including 15 women, were taken into custody by the police on Saturday after they attempted to go on an indefinite fast in the city protesting the removal of Vinayaka idols, installed in public places without permission, on Friday.
The BJP and the Hindu organisations have strongly protested the removal of about 16 idols, which were installed without permission, from different parts of the city.
The police had previously said permission would not be given for installing idols at new places in the city this year and followed it up by removing idols for which permission was not given.
Criticising the police move, the BJP leaders had threatened they would not take out the other idols for immersion scheduled for Sunday unless the removed idols were restored at their respective places. Instead, they would just offer prayers at the Cauvery River, they had said.
On Saturday afternoon, members of the BJP and Hindu organisations decided to go on an indefinite fast near the Anna Statute in the city to condemn the police action. However, they were taken into custody as permission had not been obtained for the agitation. Heated exchanges were witnessed between the agitators and the police. All the arrested were taken to a private school campus.
M.Subramanian, State secretary, BJP; P.Parthiban, district president, BJP; office bearers and members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; Vishva Hindu Parishad and other affiliated organisations were among those arrested.
