CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday condemned the continued detention of protesters in Delhi who are agitating against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanding his removal.

In a statement, Stalin questioned the BJP-led Union government over the continued detention of protesters and asked how many people it could detain and how many young voices it could silence.

He said that detaining more young people would not suppress dissent but could prompt more ordinary citizens without political affiliations to take to the streets and demonstrate the power of the people.

Stalin criticised the Union government for its handling of the protests, asserting that the voices of young people and ordinary citizens should not be silenced through detention.

Expressing solidarity with the protesters, the DMK president said his party stood ready to extend all necessary legal assistance and support to those detained.

The DMK reiterated its support for the protesters and said it would provide legal representation to help them pursue their cases. During the protests in Chennai, DMK functionaries also expressed solidarity by joining the protesters in a sit-in demonstration.