At least two persons were injured and 15 persons arrested when a march organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party to support the Mullaperiyar agitation turned violent at Vallakkadavu near Kumili on Sunday. The BJP workers broke the police barricade at the check post.
They entered the dam through a parallel road and tried to open a channel at the Baby Dam and hoisted a flag there. They were arrested by the police. Reports reaching Theni said around 1,500 people took out a rally towards the dam at Vallakadavu village near Vandi Periyar. The police prevented them from approaching the dam site. Meanwhile, a section of rallyists barged into the Tiger Forest Gate and moved towards the Baby dam area. Others managed to escape.
The sudden attempt to attack the structure shocked the skeleton staff in the dam site and at the Public Works Department office near water regulator centre in Thekkadi near Kumuli check post.
The dam is guarded by the Kerala police. All information in this connection was passed to the Theni administration and the State Government immediately, they said.
Collector K.S. Palanisamy spoke to the Idukki district administration and the SP office and appealed to provide adequate security to the dam and the PWD office. The Collector and SP in Idukki district too assured to give adequate protection.
Led by the SP, an armed police force comprising 200 personnel was deployed at the Tiger Entry Gate to prevent entry of agitators, said Theni administration officials.
