Defiant agitators say they will press ahead

We are not party to the plea in High Court, says federation

The anti-CAA protesters at Old Washermenpet in Chennai, who continued their sit-in for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, said they will defy the Madras High Court’s order and go ahead with their plan to lay siege to Fort St. George — which houses the Assembly — on February 19.

Many men, women and children continued to lend their support to the stir on Tuesday. “Though support is understandably thin in the morning, it begins to swell as the day progresses, peaking in the evening and at night,” an organiser said.

The organisers have been providing tea, biscuits, fruits and other food items to keep the visitors to Lala Gunda hunger-free.

The head of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations, Moulvi PA Kajamoideen Bakavi, said Wednesday’s protest will go ahead as planned, as the federation was not a party to the public interest litigation filed by R. Varaaki in the Madras High Court. “The Speaker said that such a resolution cannot be passed in the Assembly on February 17. The Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations are not a party to the case and, therefore, the Madras High Court orders will not apply to it. The protests spearheaded by the Federation of Tamil Nadu Islamic and Political Organisations will go ahead as planned on February 19,” he said.

He said former and current MLAs and MPs will participate in the stir. “Apart from this, protests have been planned in front of the Collector’s Office in other districts (except Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur). The protests will be peaceful and democratic,” he added. On Tuesday, MLAs including Karunaas and Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi leader Thameemun Ansari, Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi leader T. Velmurugan, MDMK leader Mallai Sathya, SDPI leader Tehlan Bakavi and others lent their support to the protests. While most of the speakers played to the crowd by criticising PM Modi, the BJP and the RSS, CPI(M) leader Kanagaraj warned that comments critical of Hinduism in general should be avoided in these protests so that the “normal, regular Hindus are not won over by the BJP”.

Source: Read Full Article