Xi Jinping in India: Five suspected Tibetan protesters held outside Chennai hotel that will host Chinese president

Chennai: Five suspected Tibetans were detained by the police on Friday for allegedly trying to stage a protest outside the star hotel where Chinese president Xi Jinping is slated to stay during his two-day visit.

Jinping is slated to arrive later in the day to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their second informal summit at the nearby coastal town of Mamallapuram. Police whisked away a person with a Tibetan flag who attempted to stage a sudden protest and were seen restraining him from raising any slogans.

He was whisked away in an autorickshaw by some police personnel even as four others were removed in a police vehicle.

The city and Mamallapuram have turned into a fortress, with the star hotel where Jinping is scheduled to stay coming under a multi-tier security cover. Modi and Jinping, who will arrive this afternoon, are holding meetings on Friday and Saturday to discuss various bilateral issues.