From correspondents in Delhi, India, 06:33 PM IST

How do people angry with government decisions register their protest? Not by holding sit-ins but by simply using section 49-0 of election rules. And that's what some voters did in Tamil Nadu Wednesday.

Over 100 people 'affected' by land acquisition for the expansion of the Chennai airport recorded their abstention from voting.

'Some 100 of us signed form 17-A under section 49-O to express our anger against our land being forcibly acquired for the airport expansion declaring our abstention from voting,' S. Karthikeyan, spokesperson for the umbrella organisation of the United Forum for People's Survival.

Some were a bit apprehensive about using it as it would reveal the voter's intention and violate the concept of the 'secret ballot'. One voter was also removed by police after he vociferously complained about the non-availability of form 17-A.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)