250 Protesters Detained For Protesting at IIT-Madras

250 members of the DMK’s student wing, VCK and BSP were detained for protesting at IIT-M

IIT Madras. (Photo: PTI)

Over 250 members of DMK student’s wing and cadres of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and BSP were detained by the Kotturpuram police when they staged separate demonstrations near IIT Madras to protest the derecognition of a student group on the campus.

The protesters condemned derecognition of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) and raised slogans against the management. In the wake of an anonymous complaint that it was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IIT-M had derecognized the APSC.

The protesters demanded the withdrawal of the derecognition of the APSC by IIT-M.

The DMK student wing’s secretary Ela Pugazhenthi led the demonstration, while VCK’s protest programme was helmed by the party’s founder Thol Thirumavalavan.

Both Pugazhenthi and Thirumavalavan along with other protesters were detained for unlawful assembly, a police officer said. He added that around 25 protesting BSP members had also been detained .