CHENNAI: Leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), including national vice-president A. Soundararajan and State functionary E. Muthukkumar, were detained by the Chennai city police on Monday when they went to submit a petition at the Consulate General of South Korea here regarding the Samsung labour dispute.
Addressing the media after the detention, Soundararajan said the union leaders had gone only to submit a memorandum highlighting alleged violations of Indian labour laws by Samsung and to seek intervention to resolve the dispute. He alleged that the police detained them even before they could enter the consulate premises, and despite there being no protest or attempt to stage a demonstration. “We did not raise slogans or hold any protest. We went in a small group only to submit a representation. Yet, the police said our very presence there was wrong and detained us,” he said, describing the action as arbitrary and excessive.
The CITU leader said the union was not prepared to accept what he termed as “intimidation” and insisted that workers’ rights could not be curbed under the pretext of security near diplomatic missions. He accused the police of acting at the behest of the government and sought immediate withdrawal of restrictions on peaceful representations to diplomatic offices.
Meanwhile, Madurai MP and CPM leader Su Venkatesan, in a post on X, criticised the police action, recalling that last month people were detained even for gathering on the road where the US Consulate is located. He said the detention of CITU leaders who went to meet South Korean consular officials over the Samsung workers’ issues amounted to high-handedness.
Referring to the Vienna Convention, he said consulates are protected under international law, but questioned under what provision the roads leading to consulates and the Chennai city police could be considered outside the ambit of Indian law. He demanded that the police explain the legal basis for restricting peaceful access to consular offices and detaining those who sought to submit petitions.