Chennai: DYFI protest turns ugly between police, activists

Chennai: A protest against demonetisation held by DYFI cadres on Saturday morning at Medavakkam-Mambakkam junction turned a daylong stand-off between activists and police after the men in khaki allegedly manhandled some of the protestors.

Police said the protest began without mandatory permission from the police, while the DYFI allegedly that the police manhandled 50-odd activists, including women, in the name of removing from the protesting area.

Later,  DYFI members resorted to road block after which police arrested them and took them to a marriage hall on Medavakkam-Mambakkam road.

Police reportedly told them all of them would be release in the evening. But in the evening, police said 14 DYFI workers were being remanded while others were asked to go. Police said that the protestors had attacked police and damaged government property.

This led to another round of protest with more DYFI workers reaching the scene. Other workers said that police cannot arrest a selected group of people and prevented the cops from taking the 14 to remand.

Following this more DYFI workers reaching scene along with media teams after which police used force and chased the workers with lathi to take the arrested to remand.

Police also allegedly attacked Thekkathir newspaper reporter-cum-photographer Gavaskar and snatched his camera when he tried to take picture of lathicharge by police.