LTTE implicated to highlight threats to Mullaperiyar dam

by Krishnadas Rajagopal

Expressing severe doubts about the ‘reliability’ of an Intelligence Bureau report on Mullaperiyar dam being vulnerable to terror attacks, the Kerala Government has accused Tamil Nadu of politicizing the long-standing dam dispute at the cost of national security.

An affidavit filed by Kerala Chief Secretary, Jiji Thomson, for the State in the Supreme Court, said subsequent disagreement of the Tamil Nadu Government with the IB report about perceived threats from LTTE exposed its ‘duplicity’.

The report was annexed to a plea by Tamil Nadu to replace Kerala police personnel with a central force to guard the dam.

Tamil Nadu relied on a September 2014 ‘Industrial Security Inspection Report’, which did not give any specific inputs of terror threats to vital installations, but warned of Pakistan-sponsored pan-Islamist terror outfits, ‘remnant cadres of LTTE’ and Naxals. Shortly after this, the Tamil Nadu Government filed a supplementary affidavit in the Supreme Court, dismissing any threats to the dam from the LTTE.

In its affidavit, Kerala said it has reservations about the IB report, but still has gone ahead to establish a separate police station dedicated to provide round-the-clock security to the dam and the Periyar water-spread.

“The State of Kerala as a precautionary measure does not intend to take any risk at all, particularly the risk arising from LTTE across the border,” it said.

The State said it cannot afford to take any risk as damage to the ‘structure (perceived as weak by the people of Kerala at large), would result in release of water flooding the downstream Periyar valley causing a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude affecting the lives and properties of millions of people.’

“The threat perception from terrorist outfits such as LeT, JeM or LTTE mentioned in the security inspection report of the Intelligence Bureau would be fully considered from all the angles.

The Intelligence Bureau would be consulted on the security arrangements on a regular basis besides submitting half yearly reports,” Kerala informed the apex court.

Kerala said the Centre has already conveyed that deployment of central forces was possible only with the permission of the State government. - Hindu