Over 5,000 DMK workers, including party MPs Kanimozhi and T.K.S Elangovan, were arrested here on Wednesday when they tried to take out a rally to Sri Lankan deputy high commission protesting the alleged abduction of over 100 Indian fishermen to Sri Lanka.
About 5,000 party workers, besides Kanimozhi, Elangovan, party's North and South Chennai district secretaries V.S. Babu MLA and J. Anbazhagan were arrested when they tried to take out the rally, a DMK release here said.
They demanded immediate release of the abducted fishermen, now believed to be in Sri Lanka, the release added.
As many as 106 fishermen belonging to three fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam, were allegedly abducted by Sri Lankan fishermen and reportedly handed over to Lankan authorities on Tuedday, sparking off angst and protests in the state.
Recently two fishermen from the state were killed allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy in different incidents, prompting New Delhi to take up the matter with Colombo.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj had also taken up the matter with Sri Lanka's envoy to India Prasad Kariyawasam, during their recent meeting in Delhi.
She had also promised to take up the matter in the Parliament.