AT LEAST one person died in clashes between police and protesters outside Vedanta Ltd's aluminium plant in India’s eastern state of Odisha, the company said today (18).
The incident comes less than a year after police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against the operation of another Vedanta plant, its copper smelter in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu state, killing 13 people.
Vedanta said in a statement that one person had died and more people had been injured in the clashes outside its Lanjigarh plant.
"As per the update from the hospital, one of the injured protesters lost his life," Vedanta said.
"The local Odisha Industrial Security Force personnel (OISF), who intervened were attacked by the protesters during which some protesters and OISF personnel got injured," the company said, referring to a state security force that is under police command.
Vedanta did not comment on what the demands of the protesters were. Media in Odisha reported that they had been agitating for jobs for local people.
(Reuters)
Bobby Bawa
