4,000 securitymen to be deployed for CSK vs KKR match in Chennai on Apr 10

Pro-Tamil outfit Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) on Monday warned of picketing the stadium on Tuesday if the IPL stuck to its Chennai calendar

Press Trust of India  |  Chennai 

Police personnel outside shopping mall
Representative image

A 4,000 strong posse of policemen will be deployed for security on Tuesday for the CSK-KKR tie, amid intensified opposition to the matches to be held here with a pro-Tamil outfit agitating over the Cauvery issue threatening to hold protests outside the game venue.

Being held here after a gap of almost three years, tickets have been sold out for the match.

Seven matches are scheduled to be held here between April 10 and May 20.

Flags and banners have been banned, with commandos and personnel forming part of the security for the tie.

Spectators would not be allowed to carry firecrackers, inflammable materials and firearms, besides bags, mobile phones, brief-cases, pagers, radios, digital diaries, laptops, computers, tape-recorders, binoculars, remote control devices, or any other electronic devices, said in a release.

The government, on its part, put the onus on the governing body for conducting the matches.

The cricket board has been apprised of "our sentiments," Fisheries D Jayakumar said.

He said "it would be good" if the BCCI respected the sentiments and not conduct the match here but government would provide all support, including security, as per laid down guidelines.

Political parties and outfits have been demanding that matches not be held at this time, saying the state is witnessing widespread agitations on the vexed issue.

Opposition Working M K had said the organisers of matches should realise the issues faced by the people and act accordingly.

"We are not saying that it (matches) should not be held. The organisers should realise the problems of people and act accordingly," he had said last week.

Tamil film star had suggested that CSK team players play with black bands as a mark of expressing the anguish of people who have been staging protests demanding setting up of

He had said the Centre might face the wrath of entire if CMB was not set up immediately.

Pro-Tamil outfit Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) on Monday warned of picketing the stadium on Tuesday if the stuck to its calendar.

told reporters that if the match was held despite its plea, they would coordinate with all democratic forces to stop it by organising a massive picketing protest.

Later, told that his party or outfits that have joined hands with it were not against the players.

Police in a release tonight said that as part of the stringent measures, a 4,000 strong police force, comprising one team of commandos and four teams of personnel of Rapid Action Force, besides a number of senior officials, would be part of the security detail inside and outside the M A Chidambaram stadium, where the match will be held.

They had earlier said 2,000 personnel would be deployed.

The fans will be allowed entry only after a thorough check, the release said, adding proper traffic arrangements would also be put in place.

Meanwhile a group of prominent film actors and directors launched a forum to back Tamils' cause in the state and called for "postponement'" of fixtures in the state,saying it was "boiling" over the Cauvery issue.

Veteran Bharathiraja, part of the forum, said would "divert" the prevailing "awakening" among the youth in over the Cauvery issue.

"is boiling...we are not saying there is no need for . Please postpone (the matches). will divert the awakening among the youth over Cauvery issue," he said.

However, K S Viswanathan said the team's home matches would go on as scheduled and that city police,which has been informed of the schedule, would handle the situation accordingly

The state has witnessed widespread protests for the past one week, with political parties, farmers outfits and others, including the Tamil cinema industry, urging the Centre to establish the to implement the February 16 verdict of the apex court.

On February 16, the raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

The court had granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, which modified the award of 2007.

The court had also made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground.

The six-week period ended on March 29.

First Published: Mon, April 09 2018. 23:26 IST