Despite coronavirus advisory, TNTJ holds anti-CAA protests in Tamil Nadu

Throwing the social distance advice from various quarters to the wind, hundreds of people having alleged affiliation with Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath converged in various cities across the state to protest against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The protests took place in Chennai and other cities and towns in the state even as several Muslim organisations called off their protests against CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) as a precautionary measure against outbreak of COVID-19.

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On Tuesday night, the month-long protest by women in Washermanpet area here on the lines of Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh was called off to prevent further spread of coronavirus in the state. DMK president M K Stalin had visited Washermanpet on Monday night and made a personal appeal to the protesters to call off their agitation till March 31.

Nearly 50 organisations, which were protesting against CAA since December, have suspended their agitation in the interests of public health.

However, the TNTJ had announced that its protest march outside the Madras High Court premises in the already-crowded Broadway area will be held as planned on Wednesday. Hundreds of TNTJ cadre and sympathisers, holding umbrellas to protect themselves from scorching heat, converged and raised slogans against the Centre and state governments.

The mass gathering was organised despite the government asking people to avoid social contact and visiting crowded places. The government had also asked police not to give permission for protests and agitation.

The TNTJ cadre said CAA and NRC are “more dangerous” than COVID-19, which has so far “killed only two people” but the former has “consumed the lives of several.” The mass protests at the time of COVID-19 outbreak has drawn outright condemnation from social media users who termed the agitation as an “irresponsible act.”

TNTJ is allegedly connected with the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) which carried out the dastardly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka last year. However, TNTJ said it does not have any links with the organisation, though NTJ is a splinter group of its affiliated unit in Sri Lanka.