Four killed in anti-Sterlite protest in Tuticorin. Kamal Haasan's party blames governments' negligence

Four persons were killed on Tuesday and four others are severely injured after the months-long protest demanding the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Tuticorin took a violent turn with agitators pelting stones and toppling police vehicles upon being restrained from marching towards the plant. 

Section 144 of the CrPc against unlawful assembly was imposed around the Sterlite plant in accordance with the orders of the Madras High Court to provide security to it, following which the sloganeering protestors who wanted to take out a rally to the location clashed with the riot-gear-clad security personnel. They then reportedly started hurling stones at the police and also overturned a vehicle forcing the security personnel to lob teargas shells to disperse them, the police added. The deaths were because of stone-pelting, the police said, denying that it had fired at the protestors.

More than 20 people also suffered minor injuries in the stone-pelting incidents, while some vehicles were set ablaze.

A peaceful demonstration was also held near the town's old bus stand, which similarly demanded the closure of the Sterlite unit and the proposed expansion of the plant. Several shops remained shut in support of the protest, police said.

The district has witnessed several protests by locals and others against the Sterlite Copper plant and its proposed expansion with protestors alleging that the plant is polluting groundwater. Sterlite Copper is the copper unit of Vedanta Limited which operates a 400,000-tonnes-per-annum-plant in Tuticorin.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam has blamed the government's negligence for the incident. It has issued a statement writing:

"The peaceful protest by the people of Tuticorin against Sterlite, demanding justice was ignored by the Governments. Negligence of the governments is the reason for all the unfortunate incidents. Citizens aren't criminals. They are ones who lose their lives; earlier due to Sterlite and now due to the Government's orders.

Everybody should maintain peace!"