IPL 2018: Fearing protests over Cauvery, unprecedented security at Chepauk

Fearing protests by Tamil groups over the Cauvery water sharing row, authorities have enforced unprecedented security arrangements at the Chepauk Stadium for the Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Chennai on Tuesday.

Around 4,000 police personnel have been deployed for security.

Various political parties and other organisations have threatened to agitate against the Indian Premier League (IPL) match in protest against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC)

They also took social media and whatsapp asking people to boycott the match and stay away from the stadium, where the match is scheduled to be held.

A group from Tamil movie industry, led by Director K Bharathirajaa, RK Selvamani and V Sekar have floated an association called Tamil Panpaattu Peravai on Monday. They told reporters that holding an IPL match when the state was fighting for Cauvery river water was an attempt to divide the youth. They threatened to hold a protest against the match.

They threatened to block vehicles carrying the players and roads leading to the M A Chidambaram Stadium.

Earlier, DMK leader M K Stalin said the organisers of the IPL matches should understand the people's problems. But he said the DMK was not against holding the IPL matches. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan had also sought a ban on IPL matches in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has banned spectators from bringing mobile phones, remote control car-key or any electronic devices, bags, briefcases, pagers, radios, digital diaries, laptops, computers, tape-recorders and even binoculars.

The banned list also includes musical instrument, video cameras, digital cameras, crackers, inflammable materials, firearms and ammunition, edibles, thermos flasks, water jugs, bottles, cigarettes, beedis, match boxes, lighters, razors, scissors, mirrors and glass, knifes and batteries.

The use of mobile phones, transistors, computers, cameras or any other audio visual recording equipment for recording and for communication the match details, statistics and images has also been prohibited.