New Delhi: In a startling revelation the Tamil Nadu government on Friday informed the Supreme Court that Pan-Islamic terror outfits have threatened to blow up Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala with explosives laden vehicles.
In an additional affidavit in the application seeking CISF protection for the dam, the Tamil Nadu government enclosed the Confidential Intelligence Bureau report to drive home the point that central forces are necessary for the safety of the dam.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justices Arun Mishra and Amitav Roy while taking on record this affidavit granted time to the State to file its response to the Centre’s stand that it will not be possible to deploy CISF for the protection of the Mullaperiyar dam without Kerala asking for such deployment.
During a brief hearing Senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Kerala assured the court that additional police force would be deployed for the protection of Mullaperiyar dam and that there was no need for deployment of CISF as it would alter the situation.
On TN counsel Rakesh Diwedi and G. Umapthi’s plea to restrain Centre from granting environmental clearance to Kerala for conducting feasibility study, Mr.Dhavan said it was not maintainable after the disposal of the main suit.
The bench, however made it clear that it was upto Kerala to file its response or not and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.
The affidavit explaining the threat perception said “vital installations of economic importance in India continue to be on target list of Pan-Islamic terrorist outfits such as LeT, JeM and Pakistan based Mukahideen (IM). Mullaperiyar dam is vulnerable to attack from such terror outfits. A series of inputs have indicated plans of LeT and JeM to carry out attacks using explosives laden vehicles. The Mullaperiyar dam being a vital installation involved in production of power generation is vulnerable to attack from LeT.”
It said after the decimation of the LTTE the remnant cadres are trying to regroup. These elements nurture anti-India sentiments for India not extending helping hand to LTTE/Tamilians when the war between the Army and LTTE was in final phase. Considering their activities all precautionary measures are necessary.
