Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav was detained here Saturday when he was on his way to express solidarity with farmers protesting against the proposed Salem-Chennai Expressway project, police said.
Yadav and few others were detained at Chengam in this district, they said without elaborating. The Swaraj Abhiyan leader tweeted that he was "manhandled" and pushed into a police van.
"We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way. We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van. Firsthand experience of police state in Tamil Nadu," he said.
TN police has detained me and team in Chengam PS, Thiru Annamalai district. We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way.
We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van.
First hand experience of police state in TN!Yadav said he had come here for conducting a fact finding about acquisition when he was stopped from proceeding. In another tweet, he said he had been lodged with some others in a marriage hall.
It's 4 hours now, we are still locked inside this marriage hall. No formal order
Not even oral information about whether we are under detention or arrest
9 Farmers who met me this morning detained
Another 40 farmers waiting to meet me also detained.
Rule of law? Or police Raj?The Rs 10,000 crore eight-lane expressway connecting Salem and Chennai is being opposed by a section of farmers and landowners who do not want to part with their land.
"The DMK strongly condemns the arbitrary detention of @_SwarajIndia chief @_YogendraYadav who supported farmers affected by #ChennaiSalemExpressway project," he tweeted. The "intolerant" AIADMK government will pay the price for denying people the democratic right to dissent and protest, Stalin added.
The project, a central government initiative being implemented by the Tamil Nadu government, aims to bring down the travel time between Salem and Chennai. The state government has been insisting that it will also help address the issue of fatal accidents on this stretch, besides saving on fuel and vehicular wear and tear.
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