Videos of atrocities by Tamil Nadu police during the ongoing protests in Tuticorin are being shared on social media. One of them shows a cop in plain clothes with an assault rifle firing at protesters while the other shows policemen saying “get up and stop acting” to a man they had just shot.
Tuticorin has seen the brutal side of state high-handedness in the ongoing protests against Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper, an industrial plant. With 12 deaths and many critical injuries, the city has paid a heavy price for demanding something as basic as clean water and air.
The police atrocities have sparked an outrage across the country. But Tamil Nadu government’s response has been shocking. No substantial action has been taken against the violent deaths. Chief Minister E Palanisamy even justified the police action.
