With deployment of a large number of police personnel ahead of the annual Muthuramalinga Thevar Jayanthi scheduled for October 30, Monday, the nine districts in south Tamil Nadu, particularly Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Madurai, have come under a security blanket.
The 55th guru puja and 110th birth anniversary of Muthuramalinga Thevar is being celebrated for three days from Saturday. With the arrival of Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Vijayakumar and senior officers in the rank of IGP, DIG and SPs being deployed at sensitive places to supervise movement of people from different parts of Tamil Nadu towards Pasumpon village, the police machinery is fully prepared to ensure that the celebration passes off without any incident.
The fact that Ramanathapuram district alone has 8,000 police personnel for bandobust and that the ADGP is camping in Kamudi indicate the level of high security in the region.
Senior police officers in the rank of IGP, who have come here on special assignment, said all check-posts leading to Ramanathapuram from the southern districts would be manned round-the-clock. Already, anti-social elements across the south zone have been taken into preventive custody.
IGP (South Zone) Shailesh Kumar Yadav said police were on high alert in all southern districts, especially in Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar and Madurai.
As per police order, no hired vehicles shall be permitted to the memorial. For the benefit of public, government buses have been arranged from different places on October 30.
Apart from the 2,000-strong police force in Madurai city, five companies of special police would be positioned at sensitive locations. Under the supervision of IGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, four DCPs would supervise movements of Thevar outfits and political parties.
Separate timings have been given to leaders/parties to garland the statue at Goripalayam.
Venue for holding public meetings have also been earmarked.
CM visit
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami is scheduled to arrive here on Sunday night from Chennai. Accompanied by eight ministers, he would proceed to Pasumpon to pay respects at the Thevar memorial, said Minister Sellur K. Raju here on Saturday.
DMK working president M.K. Stalin is also expected to reach Madurai on Sunday night, district secretary G. Thalapathi said.
