New Delhi: Swaraj India national president Yogendra Yadav was on Saturday arrested by police in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district while on his way to meet farmers protesting against a proposed Rs 10,000 crore eight-lane Salem-Chennai expressway.Yadav alleged that he and his four colleagues were detained by the Tamil Nadu police near Pakkripalayam village in Chengal at around 10 am and kept in a private marriage hall in Eraiyur without any written or oral order.Finally, I have been arrested.My crime: wanting to meet farmers in their home.Where is rule of law?— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018Yadav also alleged that the police manhandled him and stopped him from meeting farmers.TN police has detained me and team in Chengam PS, Thiru Annamalai district. We came on the invitation of Movement Against 8Lane Way.We were prevented from going to meet farmers, phones snatched, manhandled and pushed into police van.First hand experience of police state in TN!— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) September 8, 2018Yadav tweeted, “I had spoken to Mr Kandasamy, Collector, Thiru Annamalai about acquisition and complains of police excesses for 8 lane way. He completely denied any police interference. Within minutes of the phone call police detained us. (sic)”The police, however, denied Yadav’s allegations, claiming the activist had not sought permission before meeting the farmers. Yadav and his team would have needed police protection, as the situation could have turned volatile given the sensitivity of the situation, the police said, as reported by NDTV.In a complaint to deputy superintendent of police Chengam sub-division Thiru K.S. Sundaramoorthy, Yadav wrote, “I see no reason why I should be bound by an illegal order not to visit farmers at their home. I wish to make abundantly clear that my colleagues and I do not intend to organise any public assembly or procession covered by Section 30(2), nor do we plan to take out ‘procession, organising public meeting, bundh, strike and road blocks etc’…ours is a simple fact finding mission where we wish to ascertain the wishes of the farmers affected by the proposed land acquisition for Eight Lane Green Corridor between Chennai and Selam and complaints regarding police excesses in this process.“I see no ethical or legal basis for your intent to prevent me from visiting the farmers within the four walls of their homes. Mahatma Gandhi had taught guys that it is unethical to obey illegal orders. I propose to proceed to village Nammianthel to meet farmers inside their home. You are free to take appropriate action against me,” Yadav added.The expressway has been facing opposition from local farmers and landowners who fear losing their land, as well as environmentalists are concerned that the project would involve felling of trees.