IPL 2018: Police chase away Cauvery protesters in Chennai ahead of CSK-KKR clash

Chennai: Protests intensified in the city on Tuesday against the conduct of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches amid raging Cauvery demonstrations, with police chasing away agitators in some places. One incident of agitators burning yellow jerseys, the attire of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players, was also reported. Hundreds of activists of pro-Tamil outfits like Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK), Naam Tamizhar, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and some Muslim groups staged road blockade at the arterial Anna Salai and TTK Salai, affecting traffic movement, police said. In some places, protesters clashed with police. [caption id=“attachment_4426213” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative photo. Image credit: Twitter/@ChennaiIPL[/caption] Tamil film celebrities, director Bharathirajaa and national award-winning lyricist Vairamuthu among others also joined the agitation. The threat of more protests prompted police to step up security for the cricketers, including during their journey to the stadium from their hotel. The CSK team suffered a slight delay on its onward trip to the stadium for the match due to the disruption. The Chidambaram stadium has turned into a virtual fortress with 4,000 policemen including commandos and members of the Rapid Action Force deployed for security. Tuesday’s IPL tie, the first since 2015, would involve Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Police were seen chasing away protesters on the arterial Anna Salai which bore the brunt as scores of protesters staged agitation on this key road, resulting in traffic snarls. Some protesters were seen raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not establishing the Cauvery Management Board, an issue on which Tamil Nadu political parties including DMK and other outfits have been agitating for the past one week.