It’s been two days since Thoothukudi witnessed clashes between Sterlite protesters and the police, in which the police opened fire at unarmed civilians, killing 13 people and injuring scores of others.
Those dead include women and a 17-year-old girl.
A fresh round of firing was reported on Wednesday - while one protester died on the spot, another succumbed to his injuries later in the night.
On Wednesday, to stop the spread of ‘provocative messages’ and ‘half truths’, telecom providers were directed to cut services to Thoothukudi and two neighbouring districts, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari, until May 27.
Here are the latest updates:
The new District Collector Sandeep Nanduri, on Thursday, released the official numbers of the people who were killed and injured in the clashes in Thoothukudi. He said the total number of people killed was 13 - 2 women and 11 men. While 19 people sustained severe injuries, 83 others suffered from minor injuries.
He added that 23 policemen had been injured, while 10 policewomen were hurt.
Sandeep said that his first priority was to restore normalcy in the district, and ensure the hospitals and Amma Canteens have water and milk. He said ration shops will reopen from Friday.
The DMK walked out of a Business Advisory Committee Meeting, convened to decide the duration of the next Assembly session. Stalin demanded CM Edappadi Palaniswami resign over the government’s inaction with regard to the Thoothukudi killings. He first protested outside the CM's chamber, but the agitators were cleared out from there.
The DMK then held protests outside the Tamil Nadu Secretariat, led by Working President MK Stalin. “Even after deaths of 13 innocent people, no action has been taken against the culprits. The CM has become ineffective. He did not bother to visit the district and meet the people. Therefore, we demand that the CM resign immediately. DGP Rajendran must resign too,” he said.
Congress leaders too took part in the protests.
However, the police broke-up the protest quickly by physically evicting several protesters, including Stalin, from the venue. “The bullet they fired at the people, I am more than happy to take it to my heart. Our protest will continue until CM Edappadi Palaniswami and DGP Rajendran resign,” he told the media from the police van he had been kept in.
DMK's @mkstalin being carried out after protests outside CM's office. @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/g3ge2tXp97
— priyankathirumurthy (@priyankathiru) May 24, 2018
DMK workers rushed to Rajaji Salai to hold road rokos, to stop the van carrying Stalin and not allow it to pass.
Opposition parties, led by the DMK, in Tamil Nadu have called for a bandh across the state to protest the police action taken in Thoothukudi.
On Thursday, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board cut electricity and water in the Sterlite plant. This decision comes in the wake of Sterlite failing to comply with certain conditions imposed in the previous renewal of consent order issued to the unit.
A case has been filed against all the political leaders, including Kamal Haasan, Stalin, MDMK leader Vaiko, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi President Thol Thirumavalavan, State President of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Su Thirunavukkarasar and politician K Balakrishnan, for violating the prohibitory orders under Section 144 that has been clamped down on Thoothukudi from Wednesday.
An advocate has moved the Delhi High Court seeking that the NHRC visit the town and conduct a separate inquiry, instead of using a report filed by the state police and Chief Secretary. The court is likely to hear the petition on Friday.
According to Thoothukudi Collector Sandeep Nanduri, 65 people have been remanded for indulging in violence and another 68 have been arrested for indulging in violence and damaging public property, and will be produced in front of a magistrate soon.