In a statement issued by General Secretary Muralidharan, the National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled (NPRD), has strongly condemned the arrest of nearly 2,500 disabled protesters in Chennai yesterday. Disabled people in the state have been on a continuous protest since the last six days demanding an enhancement in amount disbursed as disability allowance in the state. They are demanding that it be increased from the current Rs 1,500 to a minimum of Rs. 6,000 like in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, taking into consideration disability related costs as also rising inflation.

Thousands of people under the leadership of the Tamilnadu Association for All Types of Differently-Abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) have participated in these demonstrations in all districts throughout the state. Over 30,000 disabled people have participated in these protests and have been arrested in various parts of the state.

On February 17 the Police in Chennai arrested and took the protesters and confined them to a stadium. Later at night they were put into dozens of buses which kept running late into the night. They were denied food and water during this period and were not even allowed to relieve themselves. Finally they were dropped off at Koyambedu central bus stand at around 2 a.m. A few including the General Secretary of the TARATDAC fainted and had to be hospitalised.

The NPRD has also registered its strong protest at the manhandling of the leaders and participants in the protests as also the insensitivity of the police to the needs and accommodations that disabled require when they are taken into custody. It has called upon the Tamil Nadu state goverment to call the leaders of the TARATDAC for talks and resolve their long standing demands.