Staunch Chennai Super Kings (CSK) supporter and team mascot Saravanan Hari, known for his characteristic yellow-paint look at IPL games, was attacked by a group of protesters outside MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Saravanan who was outside the stadium ahead of the franchise's first home IPL game of the season claimed that a group of people ganged up on him and hit him outside a jewellery shop near the stadium.
"They hit me and ran away. First, some 7 people came to hit. Then some more people came. I don't know why they wanted to hit me. They just hit me and ran away. They hit me on my head and on my back," said Saravanan speaking to TNM.
Saravanan is considering taking legal action against the group of attackers after the match.
Chennai city witnessed massive protests on Tuesday with various political groups and a few members of the film industry trying to march to the stadium. They laid siege to Anna Salai, Chennai arterial road, and were finally detained by police.
Things calmed down before the match started. Chennai Super Kings is taking on Kolkata Knight Riders in its first home game of the IPL season. A few minutes into the game, one of the protesters threw a pair of shoes into the stadium.
The Chennai police also arrested 6 cadres of the Naam Tamizhar party who had hurled shoes and were starting to protest.
Though many had agreed with the idea of Chennai Super Kings wearing black badges or the match itself being shifted out of Tamil Nadu, condemnation poured in for the attacks on fans.
These videos telecast on various news channels showed how CSK fans were attacked and some were forced to remove their jerseys.
“We are CSK fans, we are also Tamilians. We also want TN to get Cauvery water. But we are for the cricket match. I want to tell Seeman that what his party cadre did was not right. Theatres are running movies, will you stop it? I am ready to donate one day salary for Cauvery. The people who assaulted me should know I am a Tamilian like them,” Saravanan Hari said.
Political parties, farmers and even actors have been holding protests against the non-formation of the Cauvery Management Board and have also demanded that IPL matches should not be conducted in Chennai, as it would remove focus from the ongoing struggle against the Centre.