Protesters marching to close Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper plant tried to attack the district collector’s office in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, say officials.
New Delhi: Nine people died in a coastal city in southern Tamil Nadu on Tuesday when police fired at hundreds of protesters marching against a copper smelting plant tried to attack the district collector’s office, said officials.
Protesters who blame the Vedanta group’s Sterlite plant for health problems and depleting water allegedly set vehicles on fire and stoned policemen in Toothukudi, which was formerly known as Tuticorin. News agency IANS reports an agitation against the factory started 100 days ago and took a violent turn after protesters learnt of the company’s plans to expand the four lakh tonne per annum plant.
“I was grieved to know nine persons were unfortunately killed in this incident,” said Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in a statement.
“The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property as the protesters resorted to repeated violence… police had to control the violence,” he said.
DMK working president M K Stalin accused the police of atrocities and Tamil movie superstars Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, who recently entered politics, expressed solidarity with the protesters.
“The expansion (of Sterlite Copper) should not at all be allowed. If possible, it will be good to close down the (existing) unit,” said Makkal Neethi Mayyam chief Kamal Haasan.
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