Mullaperiyar dam row: Tamil Nadu wants Central forces

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Supreme Court seeking deployment of Central forces at the Mullaiperiyar dam, citing incidents of vandalism by certain political parties in Kerala at the dam site as reported in newspapers.

A mob of 200 people damaged the gate at the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board facility at the dam on two occasions in the past few days.Certain persons marched towards the dam from Vallakadavu (Kerala) with an earth moving machine and other implements with the intention of letting out water and damaging the dam, the petition said.

These incidents are likely to escalate, warranting the deployment of forces from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), it added.

The petition further stated that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa had on December 4 written to the Prime Minister stating that the fear psychosis being spread by Kerala is beyond comprehension and requires a mature and informed decision to be taken at the level of the Prime Minister.

She had further stated that in view of the violent activities reported at the dam site, it is imperative that central forces are deployed at the dam site immediately in order to avert any man-made catastrophic consequences.

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"It is clear that the mob attacks are a direct result of the fear whipped up without any foundation by the ministers and officials of Kerala and it is absolutely essential that attacks on the dam and electricity generation and other connected facilities are checked by the Central Industrial Security Force," the petition urged.