PUDUCHERRY: Even Chief Minister N Rangasamy was not spared during a riot control demonstration by the Rapid Action Foce (RAF) at the Gorimedu police ground here on Sunday.The CM’s eyes swelled with tears after tear gas shells were fired to control an ‘unruly mob’ that “resorted to violence demanding the release of water from the Cauvery into Tamil Nadu.”Even as the ‘riot’ was on, the wind blew the white smoke of the tear gas towards a make-shift tent in which the CM and top police officials including DIG I D Shukla and Senior SP (Law and Order) V J Chandran were seated to witness the demonstration. The CM had to be taken to the back side of the tent, where water was poured into his eyes to reduce the itching and burning sensation caused by the tear gas.Rangasamy then left the venue in his official car, followed by top cops who were with him and also bore the brunt of the tear gas. Thanks to the exercise, both the locals in the area and Puducherry police personnel got a taste of the tear gas now being used by the RAF, a wing of the CRPF, as the smoke engulfed the road-side gallery.However, the Coimbatore-based RAF party went on with their bid to control the mob (comprising police personnel), which by this time had become even more unruly. The RAF party, in the UT as part of a familiarisation exercise, was led by Deputy Commandant N K Singh. The team, which included women, then unsuccessfully tried water cannons on the mob. The rioters then started burning piles of garbage. It was only after rubber bullets were fired by the RAF team after getting signed permission from the ‘District Magistrate’ that the mob finally dispersed.Deputy Commandant N K Singh told Express that they had interacted with top police officials and collected details on the history of riots and law and order problems in the UT.The RAF group visited communally sensitive areas and learnt about key locations during their week-long stay, he added.
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