Tight security across Tamil Nadu after Jammu and Kashmir move

COIMBATORE/MADURAI/TRICHY: A thick security blanket was thrown across the state on Thursday in the wake of Centre removing special status for Jammu and Kashmir.
Mosques and temples in sensitive places as well as offices of political parties were given police protection. The state government had deputed five senior police officers in the rank of ADGP to supervise law and order situation and take adequate precautionary measures to avert untoward incidents. Meanwhile, protests by various political outfits condemning the Centre marked the day all over the state.
In Coimbatore, around 1000 police personnel were additionally deployed to guard sensitive spots including places of worship, railway stations, bus stands and airport. Since several police personnel from city were sent for crowd management at Athi Varadar temple, personnel were drawn from three other battalions.
In addition to city police, government railway police (GRP), and railway protection force (RPF) along with village administrative officers (VAOs) were directed to conduct patrolling during day and night to prevent any untoward incidents. Police pickets were posted at 30 places in the city.
At Madurai and Tirunelveli, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal reviewed security arrangements.
Madurai city police commissioner S Davidson Devasirvatham told TOI that over 1000 police personnel have been deployed in the city alone where special attention was given to places of worship, locations identified as sensitive and vital installations.
Bomb detection and disposal squad was pressed into service to conduct frisking in various places like railway junction and bus terminals as a precautionary measure.
The central zone of the state, comprising Trichy and adjoining districts also came under heightened vigil. Additional director general of police (ADGP), social justice and human rights Shailesh Kumar Yadav tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the law and order situations in the central zone visited Trichy and held a meeting with Central zone IG V Varadharaju, DIG V Balakrishnan and Trichy SP Zia Ul Haq to take stock of the situation.
There were multiple protests too against the Centre across Tamil Nadu. While left parties and advocates staged a protest in Coimbatore, DYFI and CPM staged protests condemning the Centre in Salem.
Central zone witnessed demonstrations in 24 places in six districts, where the agitators raised slogans against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for 'snatching the autonomy of Jammu and KAshmir'. Since the protestors dispersed after the demonstrations, they were not arrested in any place, police said.
In Madurai too, left parties, advocates and law college students staged protests.
While the centre's move attracted the protests from opposition parties, BJP and Hindu Munnani members celebrated the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir by distributing sweets in various places.