Chennai: Protesting disabled people allege police misbehaviour

Chennai: Members of the Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) have alleged that the city police assaulted their members during a protest on Tuesday, causing serious injuries. The protest was being held to demand an increase in monthly assistance. It’s worth noting that TARATDAC members and people with disabilities have been protesting for over a week demanding an increase in monthly assistance to ₹6,000. Currently, people with less than 75% disability receive ₹1,500, and those with more than 75% disability receive ₹2,000. During a protest on Tuesday night, the city police detained protesters in 13 buses from Rajarathinam Stadium and dropped them off at several locations, including the Koyambedu bus stand, at 2 a.m. Some protesters were also dropped off at the Kilambakkam bus terminus. However, association members reported that while detaining protesters from the stadium, TARATDAC General Secretary B. Janasirani (64) was particularly mistreated. It’s worth noting that Janasirani, the wife of former CPM state secretary K. Balakrishnan, uses a prosthetic leg and is unable to walk.

A member of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) said, “While detaining the protesters, the police mistreated Janasirani. During the process, she fell, injuring her back. She was immediately admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).” Following this, the disabled staged another protest on Wednesday afternoon, and later, Madras High Court lawyer Thirumurthy and CPM Central Chennai District Secretary Selva filed a complaint with the Director General of Police (DGP) office, demanding action against the police. Meanwhile, tensions erupted near the Kilambakkam bus terminus on the National Highway when disabled people suddenly blocked the road after midnight, causing massive traffic disruptions. According to sources, the protesters were kept inside buses for several hours and then taken to the Kilambakkam bus terminus late at night. Police later asked them to disembark and travel to their hometowns in government buses. However, the protesters reportedly refused to disembark, stating that they would not withdraw their protest or return home until their demands were met. They staged a sit-in inside the buses and engaged in heated exchanges with police, leading to tensions in and around the bus terminus. Later, the protesters suddenly disembarked and blocked the Chennai-Tiruchi National Highway. Additional police forces were deployed to the scene, and the protesters were forcibly removed.