30 held at Collector’s office for urging to cancel election

The arrested members were from Mr I Foundation, which staged the protest without prior notice.

The Foundation demanded that changes were yet to be effected in the Constitution and the Representatives of the People Act regarding candidates in the electoral fray with criminal records and that many candidates had started campaigning even before they were allotted symbols for the Vellore Parliament poll.

The coordinator of the Foundation N Valli Nayagam said those who did so should be barred from contesting the poll. They demanded that the Vellore poll be rescinded if it could not be conducted according to the Constitution.

Though the Collector’s office was deserted due to it being a Sunday, work regarding Monday’s election was on in full swing when the 30-odd members entered the lobby and staged a dharna shouting slogans in support of their demands.

Taken by surprise, the Collectorate staff immediately informed the police. Headed by DSPs Vijayakumar and Balakrishnan police personnel rushed to the office and arrested the agitators.