150 held for attempt to stage rail roko

About 150 persons, belonging to 10 different political parties and organisations were arrested today, when they attempted to stage rail roko in the city, protesting the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Act.

The protesters were led by Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam general seceretary K Ramakrishnan and supported by fringe outfits like Dravidar Vidutalai Kazhakam and Tamil Puligal.

Even as the activists were shouting slogans against the Centre, a few workers of Tamil Puligal, who alighted from Mettupalayam-Coimbatore passenger, climbed atop the engine and raised slogans against the "dilution" of the Act, police said.

As others also attempted to barge into the station to join the agitators on the track and engine, all of them were arrested, they said.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 "diluted" the provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ruling that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens too, can be arrested only after an inquiry under the law.