The police prevented college students from assembling near a statue of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy here on Saturday to stage a demonstration against the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal.
About 15 students of various colleges, who managed to sneak in from different directions, were arrested.
As messages were circulated on various social media platforms asking the students to assemble at Central Bus Stand in Tiruchi on Saturday, the police had taken precautionary measures to prevent the students from gathering.
Policemen were posted since 7 a.m. at key locations. Vigil was stepped up to prevent student protesters from gathering at the bus stand. Policemen in plain clothes were also posted to keep a vigil on the movement of protesters.
Students who were heading to the Central Bus Stand were stopped by the police at various points and asked not to proceed further. After noticing heavy police security, several of them decided not to join the protest and returned.
But 15 students suddenly emerged from different directions at the Central Bus Stand and shouted slogans against the Central government for permitting the hydrocarbon project at Neduvasal village in Pudukottai district.
Displaying handwritten bills and placards, they said that the State and Central governments should shelve the project immediately. All of them were immediately arrested and detained at a marriage hall.
“We did not create any problem to anyone during jallikattu protests. But now, we were prevented even before we could assemble for a peaceful protest. We will continue to raise our voice through democratic means,” said K. Parthasarathy, a student protester.
B. Uday, another protester, said that the Central government should shelve the hydrocarbon project immediately as it posed a threat to the livelihood of farmers of Neduvasal and neighbouring villages.
