Chennai police detain protesters during Modi’s visit

Chennai police detained black-flag protesters opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on October 11. The Times of India reported 102 detentions across two demonstrations.

One protest took place in T. Nagar, where the May 17 Movement gathered more than 50 people chanting slogans against the prime minister. The Hindu reported that those detained at that demonstration were released in the evening.

Movement founder Thirumurugan Gandhi criticised Modi for inaugurating a metro section he said had been initiated under the previous government. He also objected to the denial of funding for metro projects in Coimbatore and Madurai. Those were the protest organiser’s claims.

Modi visited Chennai to open the Phase II metro section from Poonamallee to Vadapalani and other infrastructure projects. The Times of India’s overall detention figure covers two separate demonstrations involving several organisations.