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Protests continue, over 2,500 held

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRil 11. Demonstrations protesting the arrest of the DMK youth wing leader, M.K. Stalin, continued for the second day today, and 2,800 persons, including three party MLAs, were arrested in various parts of the State.

While 2,400 persons were picked up for attempting to block traffic, 400 were arrested for specific offences such as burning of effigies of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, and for throwing stones at buses, according to reports reaching the police here.

The three legislators — M.R.K. Paneerselvam, Ko.Si. Mani and Asokan — were arrested at Kurinjipadi, Kumbakonam and Thiruvarur respectively, police sources said.

According to reports from the districts, groups of DMK volunteers gathered on busy roads, blocked traffic, burnt effigies, raised slogans and were taken into custody. Besides demanding the release of Mr. Stalin, they protested against the proposal to demolish the Queen Mary's College for a new Secretariat complex.

In most places, the demonstrations and burning of effigies took place even before the police could arrive on the scene.

In Chennai, 150 persons were arrested for attempting to block traffic. This included 40 persons who burnt an effigy of the Chief Minister near the Gemini Flyover. All the arrested have been remanded to judicial custody.

Ilamvazhuthi held

In Chennai last night, the DMK MLA, who was suspended for the entire budget session from the Assembly, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody for 15 days.

Mr. Ilamvazhuthi, who was earlier arrested following a complaint from the Chief Secretary, for incidents in the Assembly, staged a road roko with party supporters at Dovetown.

Though all 46 persons were arrested in the afternoon, they were remanded late in the night. They were charged with unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation.

Mr. Ilamvazhuthi said he had been arrested so many times by the AIADMK Government that he had lost count of the number of cases. ``One more case does not make a difference.''

He and other DMK men were sent to the Puzhal prison while four women arrested with him were sent to the Cuddalore central prison.

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