Hitting out at the police for arresting jallikattu protesters, Tamil actor Simbu said he should also be arrested along with others for the demonstrating in favour of the bull-taming sport.
In a press conference in Chennai, STR said, “If you arrest them for protesting, you should arrest me as well. My request is that please release the arrested protesters immediately. If you can’t do that, arrest me as well. If you don’t release them, I shall begin a non-violent protest.”
His comments come nearly a week after the police crackdown on protesters, which quickly spiralled into violence and arson across Chennai.
Questioning the police’s decision to evict those protesting from the Marina Beach, Simbu asked, “Why did the police come to Marina on the 6th day? The protesters asked for a certain amount of time. Why should the police use force?” He also added that there was “no truth” to the allegations that the protesters indulged in violence.
The actor also dismissed the police and government’s claims that the protest had been hijacked by anti-social elements.
He called it a “non-violent protest” and said that the government could have called a press conference and informed the public that an ordinance had been passed.
National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commission have issued notices to the Director General of Police seeking a response on the police crackdown on protesters.
Source: The News Minute