Ramanathapuram town and peripheries in southern districts has been brought under a thick security blanket in view of Thevar Jayanthi celebrations.
Apart from a large contingent of police personnel deployed at vantage locations, sophisticated drones have been put in use at the function area in Kamudhi and other places of importance.
Speaking to reporters about the arrangements, Superintendent of Police E Karthik said that two IGPs, three DIGs of Police, 13 SPs, 30 DSPs and 33 companies of Tamil Nadu Special Police and a separate traffic team were regulating the vehicles. The DGP (Special) Rajesh Dass visited the district and was supervising the arrangements. The IGP (south zone) S Murugan, DIG (Ramnad Range) N. Mylvaganan and other senior officers were present with their contingent.
The police have identified 151 statues and deployed personnel to protect them. As many as 130 locations were identified as ‘sensitive’ and they have been brought under close monitoring, he said and added that 60 cameras would be on live-stream, which would be accessible to the DGP at Chennai.
Replying to a specific query, the SP said that 39 special check-posts have been installed and all vehicles entering should produce the pass issued by the District Collector. With COVID-19 pandemic, the curfew was in force. So, the people and representatives of political paries have been told to cooperate with the official machinery.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami landed in Madurai by a scheduled airline from Chennai to participate in the event at Pasumpon, officials said. After overnight halt in Madurai, he would go there at 8.30 a.m. and pay homage at the memorial. Senior ministers including Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, among others, would accompany him.
The DMK president M K Stalin also arrived at Madurai airport. According to airline officials, both the CM and the Leader of Opposition travelled in the same flight from Chennai to Madurai.
Various leaders from the Congress, the MDMK, the Communists, the BJP, among others, were expected to pay homage at the memorial.
