Amid the communal tension prevailing in Coimbatore, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Hindu Munnani, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and allied organisations took out a march from Anna Statue to the Collectorate on Thursday evening in protest against the alleged assault on an RSS functionary on Wednesday.

Leaders who led the march alleged that the police failed to take appropriate action in cases related to attacks on their functionaries, the hurling of petrol bomb at Hindu Munnani office and damages caused to vehicles.

They gave a petition to Collector K. Rajamani seeking action against those involved in the assault on members of their organisations and against communal forces that posed threat to peace in the city. The Collector assured them of appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Muslim-centric parties and Islamic organisations called off the Shaheen Bagh-like dharna for five days from Wednesday night considering the law and order situation.

On Thursday noon, City Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan told media persons that the police had arrested 127 persons as a preventive measure in view of communal tension.

Security and surveillance in the city had been stepped up and four Deputy Commissioners of Police were monitoring the law and order situation in the four sub-divisions.

Similarly, an Assistant Commissioner of Police each was monitoring every police station limits. The Commissioner said the police were checking vehicles at more than 40 locations in the city at night.

The Commissioner, however, refused to answer to a question why the police gave permission to members of the BJP, Hindu Munnani, RSS and allied organisations to take out the march in the evening even as the Collector had appealed to both Hindus and Muslims at peace meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday to refrain from protests.