Anti-Sterlite protests, firing rock TN Assembly : Police action was ‘unavoidable’: Palaniswami

NHRC to send team to probe deaths

Chennai: The violent protests and police firing in Tuticorin that claimed 13 lives rocked the Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday with Chief Minister K Palaniswami maintaining that police action was "unavoidable" even as the main opposition DMK staged a walked out over the issue.

On the violent incidents that occurred on May 22 in Tuticorin, Palaniswami said measures like tear gas and baton-charge were used against those who indulged in violence.

"In unavoidable circumstances, police personnel were forced to take action," he said in a report tabled in the House in an apparent reference to the police firings.

He appealed to the people of Tuticorin not to succumb to instigations by anyone and cooperate for continuation of peace.

Soon after the question hour, Leader of the Opposition, M K Stalin, attired in black, targeted the government for issuing a government order (GO) for the closure of the Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin rather than convening the Cabinet and taking a policy decision in this regard.

Calling the issuance of GO "eyewash," tantamount to signalling the Sterlite management to approach the court, the DMK leader said the move was similar to what was done in 2013 in the issue.

All the DMK members present were dressed in black, which they said was to signify their protest and grief over the firings.

The opposition party declined to toe the government line that the unit was closed permanently.

Congress legislature party leader K Ramasamy said the probe into the incidents should be done properly or must be transferred to the CBI.

He also wanted unconditional withdrawal of all cases in this regard.

Asking the government to own up responsibility over the loss of 13 lives, he said the government should resign.

The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday decided to send its fact-finding team to probe the deaths of 13 people in police firing during the protests against Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district.

The move comes days after the Delhi High Court had left it to the NHRC to decide on a lawyer's representation for an independent probe into it.

The rights panel had earlier issued notices to Tamil Nadu's chief secretary and the director general of police seeking detailed reports in two weeks, along with the status of those who were being treated for injuries.

"The NHRC today decided to send its own team of officers for making a fact-finding inquiry/investigation into the incident of police firing in Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu on May 22, causing the death of more than 11 protesters demanding closure of Sterlite Copper plant," the NHRC said in a statement.

The Commission, in the statement, said it had given this direction after considering the representation made by A Rajarajan, through advocate Sabarish Subramanian, before the Delhi High Court.

A day after announcing the shutdown of Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday cancelled the land allotted to Sterlite for expansion.

On Monday, the state government ordered the state Pollution Control Board to seal and "permanently" close Sterlite plant following last week’s violent protests over pollution concerns during which 13 people were killed in police firing.

The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police TK Rajendran on Tuesday transferred the case to the Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department.