Chennai: Rapid Action Force personnel and commandos of state police have been deployed at sensitive places as security across Tamil Nadu was beefed up in view of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary tomorrow and terror threats following the Mumbai attacks.

"We have deployed state police battalions, Special Task Force (STF) personnel and commandos to beef up security across the state," Director General of Police K P Jain told PTI today. The Chennai airport and star hotels in the metro have also been brought under heightened security cover, following an alert sounded by Bureau of Civil Aviation based on intelligence inputs that these could be targeted by terrorists.

Meanwhile, protest and demonstrations have also been banned across the state tomorrow "keeping in mind the law and order situation, he said. Some Muslim organisations, including the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, have called for demonstrations demanding to rebuild the Babri Masjid. The police was "fully aware of the vulnerable and sensitive areas," and three battalions of Rapid Action Force (RAF), one in the city, and two in Coimbatore, rocked by serial blasts in 1998, have been deployed, Singh added.

The police have also intensified patrolling and vehicle checks across the city, he added. Several security measures have been put in place at Chennai airport to prevent any untoward incident. Restrictions have been placed on movement of visitors in the area and passengers were being allowed after thorough frisking. The corridor in front of the airport terminal, used for parking of vehicles, has also been closed.

Source : PTI