CHENNAI: A peaceful demonstration organised by the Bharat Swabhiman Trust, the Pathanjali Yog Samiti and India Against Corruption turned sour when the police intervened and picked up the participants in the early hours of morning at the Marina beach here on Wednesday.Around 11 members, including one woman, from Bharat Swabhiman Trust and India Against Corruption were picked up by the police around 6.05am near the Gandhi statue at Marina beach for staging a fast protesting against the police action on Baba Ramdev’s fast in Delhi without the permission of the city poilce.The volunteers were taken to a nearby Corporationrun school in Mylapore, where they were held in detention for over two hours. However, they were released after a case was booked against them.“We have booked a case against the volunteers under Section 151 for holding a demonstration in a public place without police permision,” said Karuppusamy, Deputy Commissioner, Chennai. “Peaceful demonstrations can be held, but only in places earmarked for this purpose, in order to avoid causing any disturbance to the public.Moreover, it is a rule that has been in place for many years now and all organisations in the city should be aware of it,” he replied to a query regarding protests.There was an air of confusion at the venue of the protest.A section of volunteers belonging to India Against Corruption said that they were unaware that the police had rejected the request letter submitted by Bharath Swabhiman Trust and that they would not be allowed to hold a protest.“We submitted a letter to the commissioner office, Chennai seeking permission for holding a protest.Initially, they agreed to grant permission, but last night around 10.30pm we received a letter at one of our offices from the commissioner's office that stated that permission has been denied. By the time the message reached the members of the trust, they had already begun to assemble at the Marina beach which led to some confusion among the volunteers,” said Rajeshwari, a representative of Bharat Swabhiman trust, Tamil Nadu Chapter.Following the drama that unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday, security was beefed up at the Marina beach to prevent further demonstrations. “The cops are not allowing a group of more than five persons near the statue of Gandhi at the Marina,” said Bhavanesh, a representative of Bharath Swabhiman Trust. After their release, the volunteers headed to the Youth hostel at Indra Nagar, to continue their fast in support of Anna Hazare’s call for a day-long fast.One of the major reasons for conducting the fast was to condemn the police action on Baba Ramdev and his followers who were involved in a peaceful protest at Ramlila grounds in New Delhi. The volunteers have also been pressing for a strong and powerful legislation to send corrupt politicians and bureaucrats to jail. Infact, it is the second such protest being organised in the city.“I was really shocked to see the condition of the Corporation-run school we were detained in,” said Jothi, an IT consultant and a volunteer of India Against Corruption. “The state government has not maintained it properly. It reflects the interest our government shows in running these schools. I think I should thank the police for detaining us in that school.If not, I would not have come across such a school in the city of Chennai. The citizens of this country pay their taxes and yet the children of our nation have to study in such poor conditions.What happened to all the public money? This is why we should fight to eradicate corruption,” Jothi added.“We organised a bike rally along the East Coast Road and also held a painting competition for school children to create awareness about the Lok Pal Bill,” said Zakir Hussain, a businessman and a volunteer from India Against Corruption.
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