Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday said the Centre was yet to respond to her request for deployment of CISF personnel at the Mullaperiyar dam site in Kerala to avert any “man-made catastrophic consequences” in view of protests.
“I have written to the Prime Minister to provide CISF protection, but not received any response (so far),” she told reporters here.
The AIADMK general secretary on Sunday in her third letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue in less than a fortnight sought immediate security cover by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) citing reports of mob vandalism organised by certain political parties at the dam area in Idukki district.
In her earlier letters, Ms. Jayalalithaa had asked Dr. Singh to intervene and advise Kerala to desist from creating fear psychosis on the dam issue.
Kerala has mounted pressure for building a new dam in place of the 116-year old Mullaperiyar reservoir in the wake of increase in water level and some recent tremors in the region, but Tamil Nadu has stoutly opposed any such move saying the structure was safe.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said she had nothing more to add on the issue. “My stand has been explained in detail in the letter I have written to the Prime Minister.” When asked whether a special assembly session would be convened in Tamil Nadu also as was being done in Kerala, she replied in the negative.” At the moment I don’t think it is necessary because we are all united in our stand.” DMK chief M Karunanidhi in a rare show of solidarity with arch-rival AIADMK had on Sunday pressed for deployment of CISF forces to replace Kerala state police personnel.
The DMK patriarch also accused Kerala of attempting to distract the issue by ‘creating fear and panic’ in the minds of people which he said should be stopped immediately.
On beefing up of security in the border area, Ms. Jayalalithaa said forces had been deployed from both the states at the border.
To a question about reports that the long-pending issue was being raked up because of an assembly by-election in Kerala, the Chief Minister said she was not aware of any such thing.
