Anti-CAA protests: DMK retaliates with more kolams after police detain protesters

DMK stood in solidarity with the people detained by the authorities for making kolams against CAA.

In Chennai, Tamil Nadu's main opposition party had special rangolis (known here as kolams) drawn outside the homes of top party leaders to oppose the amended Citizenship Act and a National Register of Citizens (the Centre now says no talks have been held on a countrywide citizens register).

This comes in a day after seven people were detained for drawing similar kolams in Besant Nagar, an upmarket neighbourhood in town. They were released later.

Kolams drawn outside the homes of the late DMK supremo Karunanidhi, party chief MK Stalin and Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi read "Vendaam [We don't want] CAA-NRC".

Protesters opposing the CAA fear it will shield non-Muslim illegal migrants identified by a pan-India NRC and make a large number of Muslims stateless.

The DMK says the CAA is also against Sri Lankan Tamils (the law covers illegal migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh) -- a concern that other opposition parties have raised too.

Many have been killed during the demonstrations against the CAA and the NRC -- most of them in BJP-led Uttar Pradesh.

The Centre denied that the new law, passed by Parliament this month, is anti-Muslim, and insisted Indian Muslims need not worry. The move has gathered criticism from the government of Malaysia and UN as well.