CHENNAI: Left parties in Tamil Nadu have condemned the alleged police crackdown on protesters in New Delhi on Saturday and called for protests at district headquarters across the state to demand the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

In a joint statement, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian and CPI (ML) Liberation state secretary Pazha Aasaithambi alleged that the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces had unleashed repression, arrests and attacks ahead of a protest called by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. Left parties and mass organisations had extended their support to the protest, they said.

The statement alleged that 254 trains to Delhi were cancelled, 54 Metro stations shut and 35,000 police personnel deployed. It also accused the authorities of ignoring the Supreme Court’s advice that people had the right to hold peaceful protests.

CPM general secretary MA Baby, CPI general secretary D Raja, leaders of CPI(ML) Liberation and several senior party functionaries were among those arrested in Delhi, it noted, adding that leaders and functionaries of Left youth and student organisations had also been detained. Those arrested were allegedly being kept in police vehicles and driven around for several hours.

The Left parties further alleged that the Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel had prevented protesters from assembling at Jantar Mantar by making arrests at different locations. Offices of political parties and mass organisations had also been surrounded by security personnel, they said.

Describing the action as an attack on democracy and the right to protest, the three parties strongly condemned the alleged repression and arrests. They called on their units to organise immediate protest demonstrations at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu, condemning the crackdown and reiterating their demand for Kumar’s removal.