CHENNAI: The members of The Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) alleged that the city police manhandled their members, causing serious injuries, during the protest held on Tuesday, as part of the stir demanding an increase in monthly assistance.
It is worth noting that TARATDAC members and differently-abled persons had been staging protests demanding an increase in monthly assistance to Rs 6,000 for over a week. Currently, persons below 75 per cent disability receive Rs 1,500, and those above 75 per cent disability get Rs 2,000.
During a protest on Tuesday night, the city police had detained the agitators from Rajarathinam Stadium in 13 buses and were dropped at multiple locations, including Koyambedu bus stand at 2 am. Some of the protestors were dropped at the Kilambakkam bus terminus as well.
However, while detaining protestors from the stadium, TARATDAC's general secretary B Jansirani (64) was particularly manhandled, said association members. It is to be noted that Jansirani, who is the wife of CPM former state secretary K Balakrishnan, uses a prosthetic leg and faces locomotive disability.
"While detaining the protestors, the police had manhandled Jansirani. During which she suffered a fall, sustaining injuries to her back. She was promptly admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH)," said a member of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA).
Following this, differently-abled staged another protest on Wednesday afternoon and subsequently, Madras High Court advocate Thirumurthy and CPM Central Chennai district secretary Selva filed a complaint demanding action against the police at the DGP office.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed near the Kilambakkam bus terminus on the National Highway after the differently-abled persons staged a sudden road blockade protest past midnight, causing major traffic disruption.
According to sources, the protesters were kept inside the buses for several hours before being taken late at night to the Kilambakkam Bus Terminus. The police later asked them to disembark and proceed to their respective hometowns in government buses.
However, the protesters reportedly refused to alight from the buses, stressing that they would not withdraw their agitation or return home until their demands were met. They staged a sit-in protest inside the buses and engaged in heated arguments with police, leading to a tense situation in and around the bus terminus.
Later, the protesters suddenly got down from the buses and blocked the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway. Additional police forces were deployed at the spot, and the protesters were forcibly removed.