Security beefed up ahead of strike

Adequate police security will be provided across the city with the local police, armed reserve police forces, traffic police and patrolling teams stationing themselves at strategic locations to avert any untoward incidents. More than 8000 policemen will be on duty for the day. Speaking to DTNext , a senior police official said that the policemen will be deployed at all public places including bus stops, railway stations, shopping complexes and malls. 

Vital installations in the city will have a heavy posse of policemen on guard. The policemen will arrest any unapproved group of protestors who carry out demonstrations at places without permission. “Prior permission has been granted to those who want to agitate before government offices and others, but those who gather and protest without any permission will be arrested,” said the police source. Police teams under the orders of Additional Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners will be keeping vigil from morning till evening to ensure that the demonstrations do not got out of control.

Leader of Opposition M K Stalin would lead the party’s agitation against demonetisation at the city collector office at 9am Monday. State Congress president Su Thirunavukkarasar would lead the protest in front the head post office on Anna Salai an hour later. Both the DMK and Congress have advised their district heads to lead the agitations in their respective areas. DMK, which does not oppose demonetisation per se, has joined the rest of the Opposition, which has been launching a nationwide offensive against the reported financial mess caused by the ruling BJP’s demonetisation announcement. Even regarding Monday’s agitation, Stalin had recently clarified that the agitation was not theirs (DMK) and that they were only expressing solidarity with the rest of Opposition, which has called for a nationwide agitation against demonetisation.

The CPI and CPM leaders have announced that they would stage protest in front of headquarters office of the State Bank of India against demonetisation on Monday morning. The VCK party will also join hands with the left parties. R Mutharasan, state secretary, CPI said “Common people are largely affected due to demonetisation and the Centre should withdraw such decision immediately,”. Condemning the centre, the party cadre would gather in front of SBI bank in Nungambakkam to stage protest against detrimental decision, he added. Ravikumar, general security, VCK said that the party leader Thol Thirumavalavan will participate in the protest in Madurai. “We have instructed our district level functionaries to hold agitations in the respective district headquarters,” he said. Meanwhile, MDMK party abstain from staging any protest against demonetisation. “Our leader Vaiko is very clear and he already said MDMK was supporting the Centre on this particular decision,” a party cadre said.  Similarly, PMK will not hold any demonstration against the Centre’s decision.

The Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peravai on Sunday issued a release claiming that their members would not be participating in Monday’s agitation against demonetisation. “While we had earlier announced our intent to participate in the protest, for various reasons we have decided to temporarily withdraw from the agitation,” president T. Vellaiyan said. However, the association has decided to hoist black flags from December 15 until December 31 at important business junctions in all districts as part of their protest and would replace that black flag with the national flag on January 1, the release said. Meanwhile, the breakaway faction Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangam Peramaipu headed by A. M. Vikrama Raja continued to support the stir.