The deaths of nine people in police firing at protesters against Vedanta's Sterlite copper plant in Tamil Nadu is a "brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism", Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday.
"The gunning down by the police of 9 people in the Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured," Gandhi said on Twitter.
While some reports say one person was killed, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami said nine people were killed in police action at Tuticorin and ordered a judicial inquiry into the police action.
Also Read | Anti-Sterlite protest in Tuticorin turns violent; nine killed in police firing
The police action followed months-long protests by the people demanding closure of Vedanta's Sterlite copper unit in Tuticorin, about 600 km from Chennai. The protesters experssed pollution concerns in the area owing to the leakage of gas.
The agitation turned violent today, with protesters fighting pitched battles with police, prompting it to open fire. Hurling stones and setting government vehicles and public property on fire, the agitators went on the rampage in the town.
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