Chennai : Some political parties were trying to turn Tamil Nadu into a permanent protest zone and thereby hurting the image of the state. They are only trying to score political points rather than do any good to the people alleged Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Wednesday.

He told the assembly that the state witnessed a total of 31,269 protests in 2017.

Speaking in the assembly, the Chief Minister said the protests were held by political parties, government employees, workers, students, religious organisations and others.

They are trying to convert the state into a protest arena. “Their true aim is to gain political mileage and not the public welfare,” Palaniswami said.

Quoting from data released by the Bureau of Police Research and Development, part of the Union Home Ministry, Palniswami said 15 per cent of protests in the nation were held in Tamil Nadu.

On an average it works out to 47 protests a day, he said.