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Hundreds arrested at Rajapaksa protest

Indian Tamils planned rally against president
Hundreds arrested at Rajapaksa protest
Indian Tamils protested againstPresident Rajapaksa's opening of a new Buddhist center
Published: September 21, 2012 11:15 AM GMT
Updated: September 21, 2012 11:38 AM GMT

Police arrested more than 700 Tamil party activists today following a demonstration to mark their support for the Tamil Tigers ahead of a three-day visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nearly 1,000 members of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kashagam (MDMK), a party based in Tamil Nadu state, began their protest on Wednesday on a highway in Madhya Pradesh 400 kilometers from Sanchi where Rajapakse opened a Buddhist center today. More than 700 of them were arrested when they tried to travel in the direction of Sanchi today ahead of the inauguration ceremony that also included Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Jigme Thinley. “The inauguration went on peacefully,” said a senior police chief. Last night, a small group of the protestors made it as far as Bhopal, just 67 kilometers from Sanchi, but police stopped them for questioning. Authorities rearranged railway schedules today, meaning 11 trains did not make scheduled stops in Sanchi. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, who also attended the ceremony, earlier called on MDMK  leaders to cancel their protest, saying the opening ceremony was a non-political event. Politicians in Tami Nadu have criticized the Sinhalese ruling majority in Sri Lanka over alleged human rights abuses against the Tamil minority during the long-running civil war that ended in 2009. Related reports Protesters rally for political prisonersMilitary bars Tamils from their homes

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