FIR Against Stalin, Others for Holding Anti-CAA Rally in Chennai Without Permission

Chennai: A day after he led a massive anti-CAA rally here, DMK president M K Stalin and several others were booked for holding the agitation without permission, police said on Tuesday.

A First Information Report has been filed against Stalin and others under IPC sections including those related to unlawful assembly and disobedience to order promulgated by public servant, they said.

Also, the Madras City Police Act has been invoked against the protestors for taking out the rally, a senior police official said.

Thousands of people took part in the rally called by the DMK and its allies to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act.

When asked if the names of leaders of DMK's alliance parties who also participated in the rally figure in the FIR, the officer told PTI: "There are several others including the organiers," but declined to elaborate.

The officer said the rally was organised without necessary permission from police.

The Tamil Nadu government had on December 22 informed the Madras High Court police denied permission for the rally as there was no firm commitment from the organisers on owning responsibility in case of any violence and damage to property.

The submission was made during the hearing of two PILs which sought to restrain the organisers from taking out the rally, citing violence and damage to properties elsewhere in the country during protest against the contentious CAA.

Declining to entertain the plea, the high court said peaceful demonstration cannot be prevented in a democratic country, but directed the police to videograph the event.

The peaceful rally saw heavy deployment of police personnel. Senior Congress leaders, including P Chidambaram, state Secretaries of CPI(M) and CPI K Balakrishnan and R Mutharasan respectively, IUML leader K M Kader Mohideen, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi M H Jawahirullah, walked alongside Stalin through the nearly 3-km long rally route.

DMK MP Kanimozhi and Stalin's son and DMK Youth Wing chief Udhayanidhi were among the participants.

Strongly coming out against the CAA, Stalin in his speech at the end of the rally had warned of intensifying the agitation by mobilising apolitical sections of society till the Centre withdrew the 'draconian' law.