Tamil Nadu bandh LIVE: DMK leader Kanimozhi detained by police in Chennai

To protest the Tuticorin police firing in which 13 people lost their lives, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and other opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have called for a dawn-to-dusk statewide bandh on Friday.

Over the last three days, at least 13 people were killed and 70 others injured after police opened fire at protesters demanding the closure of Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin.

The locals were protesting for over 100 days demanding the closure of the Sterlite Copper unit. They alleged that the plant was polluting groundwater and causing serious health issues.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami had defended the police action, saying “when someone hits you, you naturally tend to defend yourselves. so on such situations, no one acts in a pre-planned manner.” 

LIVE Updates:

# 02:50 PM: Why blocked internet in Tuticorin, Madras HC asks TN Govt: Madras High Court has asked Tamil Nadu government 'why Internet has been blocked in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin)?' The HC also asked the state government to reply by 3 pm today.

# 02:40 PM: Delhi HC directs NHRC to represent petitioner seeking probe: Delhi HC directed National Human Rights Commission to take the representation of petitioner who sought commission to directly probe 13 deaths in police firing during protests against Sterlite Industries in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi. NHRC had sought reports from TN DGP & Chief Secy

#11:05 AM: SC refuses to hear a plea seeking CBI probe today: Supreme Court today asked the petitioner GS Mani to mention the matter again on Monday. The Court said it can't hear it today. Mani has sought a court-monitored CBI probe into the police firing matter

#10:50 AM: Kanimozhi detained by police: Opposition workers and leaders protest in Chennai's Egmore against Thoothukudi Police Firing. DMK's Kanimozhi and VCK's Thirumavalavan among those detained by Police.

#10:10 AM: Protests in Chennai's Egmore: DMK and Congress workers stage protest in Chennai's Egmore against Thoothukudi Police Firing Sterlite Protest

DMK & Congress workers stage protest in #Chennai's Egmore against #ThoothukudiPoliceFiring #SterliteProtest pic.twitter.com/vFvPKe2W4u

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2018

#10:00 AM: Buses halted at Tamil Nadu border: The state government's buses coming from Kerala have been halted at the Tamil Nadu border in wake of the statewide bandh called by the Opposition parties.

#09:30 AM: Situation in Tuticorin better now: There were 13 casualties but after the efforts of the government and district administration to restore normalcy, the situation in Tuticorin is better now. Govt has passed orders to cut off electricity supply to Sterlite industry, says GS Bedi, government monitoring officer.

#09:15 AM: Vedanta chairman says want Tuticorin to prosper: We always make sure that community & people of Tuticorin prosper with us. I'm totally committed to people at large & community & with their wish & prosperity, we'd like to continue business. I assure you I'm fully committed to environment & people, says Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta.

#09:00 AM: Hello and Welcome to the News Nation live updates. Opposition parties are observing a dawn-to-dusk Tamil Nadu bandh today over the violence in Tuticorin in which 13 people were killed after police opened fire at protesters. The locals of Tuticorin were protesting against Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit over pollution concerns.