The city police on Tuesday took into custody 64 members of the youth wing of the Tamil Manila Congress, including three women, when they attempted to picket the Salem Railway Junction and also burn Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamiah in effigy to protest against the violence against Tamils in the neighbouring State.
Led by M. Yuvaraja, State president of the Youth Wing of the TMC, the party men raised slogans against the Karnataka Government and the Centre for their failure to contain the violence. They also urged the Centre to send defence forces to Karnataka to protect the lives and property of the Tamils settled there and take effective steps to settle the Cauvery row amicably.
They attempted to burn in effigy the Karnataka Chief Minister and gate crash into the railway junction. The police personnel present in good number prevented them and took 64 of them into custody.
K. V. Suseenthara Kumar, president of the Salem west district unit of the TMC, was among those arrested.
The city police also took into custody about 50 members of the Naam Tamizhar Katchi when they attempted to march to the railway junction to picket the trains on Tuesday.
Led by Arul Iniyan, coordinator of the Ilaignar Paasarai of the Katchi, the cadre staged a demonstration and attempted to move into the junction, when the police intercepted them and arrested them.
The members of the city unit of the All India Youth Federation blocked the road in front of the Collectorate on Tuesday condemning the violence against Tamils in Karnataka.
Rajesh, city secretary of the federation, led the agitation.
