The DMK with its allies and several other organisations on Monday took out a rally in Chennai protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The rally, led by DMK President MK Stalin, was joined by thousands of people, who have termed the amended law as “unconstitutional”.
The police had denied permission for the rally and the Madras High Court on Sunday declined to stay the rally.
The court had said the rally should be recorded using drones and law and order should be ensured.
At an all party meeting chaired by Stalin on December 18, it was resolved that the CAA should be revoked and on December 23 a procession would be held here demanding the revocation.
Stalin had asked why Muslims were not considered as refugees and Sri Lanka was not categorised as a neighbouring country under the CAA.
Meanwhile, Congress leader P Chidambaram also joined Stalin in leading the protest rally.
However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami has insisted that the Citizenship Amendment Act poses no danger to Muslims.
“We are committed to protecting minorities. Don’t believe rumours that the amended law will affect the citizenship of Indian Muslims. We will continue to press for dual citizenship for Lankan Tamils living in India,” he said.
Protests against CAA that were earlier confined to the northeast, have swept the country over the past week after several protesters, including students clashed with the police in Delhi’s Jamia Milia Islamia on December 15.
According to the Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014, facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.