IPL 2018

Cauvery issue: Chennai gripped by protests ahead of IPL clash

Protests flared as people demanding a Cauvery Management Board took to the streets

cauvery-protest-ipl-ap Protesters shout slogans after being detained by the police outside the M.A. Chidambaram stadium ahead of the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Chennai | AP

Protests flared in Chennai on Tuesday as people demanding a Cauvery Management Board took to the streets against an IPL match to be played between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tonight.

Even as the teams made it to the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium—popularly known as Chepauk Stadium—through the back gate, the complex turned into a fortress with the deployment of hundreds of police personnel, many in riot gear.

All roads leading to the stadium also came under a blanket of security to prevent anti-IPL activists from spoiling the show. Groups of protesters kept moving towards the cricket stadium from various lanes shouting slogans.

A helicopter circled the sky over the stadium.

Police took into custody members of various Tamil groups. Many raised slogans against the Modi government for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Protests on the arterial Anna Salai threw traffic out of gear.

cauvery-protest2-ipl-ap Agitators gather near the M.A. Chidambaram stadium during a protest against the Indian Premier league (IPL) amid ongoing Cauvery water sharing row, in Chennai | AFP

With the match set to start at 8pm, some demonstrators released black balloons into the sky in a sign of protest. Also, taken into custody were some protesters who tried to lay siege to the cricket stadium.

Tamil film celebrities like director Bharathirajaa also hit the streets demanding justice for Tamil Nadu vis-a-vis Karnataka, the two states which are locked in a dragging row over the river water.

Police have said all spectators will be frisked thoroughly before being let into the stadium.

Meanwhile, the IPL chairman urged the Centre to ensure enhanced security during matches in Chennai in view of protest threats over Cauvery issue, prompting the Union Home Secretary to ask the chief of the Tamil Nadu Police to do the needful, officials said.

IPL chief Rajeev Shukla met Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and requested him to ensure additional security in and around the stadium in Chennai amidst fears that protesters might disrupt the matches.

"The IPL chairman met the Union home secretary and urged him to do the needful for additional security in the M.A. Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. Following this, the home secretary spoke to the Director General of the Tamil Nadu Police and asked him to ensure proper security during the match," a home ministry official said.

The home secretary also assured the IPL chairman that foolproof security will be provided for all the matches in Chennai, another official said.

Starting today, seven IPL matches are scheduled to be played in Chennai till May 27.