Security for Chennai IPl match on top gear

The city police has laid down multi-layered security to prevent any untoward incident during the Indian Premier league (IPl) match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) here on Tuesday evening.

According to officials around 4,000 police personnel have been deployed for security.

Several fringe elements have threatened to agitate against the IPl match in protest against the central government not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) as mandated by the Supreme Court.

Protests are being planned near the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. The situation around the stadium now is calm.

A group in the Tamil movie industry, led by Director Bharathirajaa, R.K. Selvamani and V. Sekar, floated an association called Tamil Panpaattu Peravai on Monday here.

They told reporters that holding an IPl match when the state was fighting for Cauvery river water was an attempt to divide the youth.

Bharathirajaa said they will hold a protest against the match. Some political parties too have called for axing the match.

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.

Spectators have also been told not to dishonour the Indian flag. No food or drink from outside will be permitted.

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

The banned list also includes musical instruments, 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, knives 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.