New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI): Calling it a massacre, the Congress on Wednesday blamed the Tamil Nadu government and the state police for the killings of protesters during Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi.

Talking to media, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told ANI that since the police had less force they had to resort to other ways for controlling crowds.

"State government and police must be held responsible for this massacre of common people; they should have been more alert. Since they had less force they had to resort to other ways for controlling crowds, they knew it was going on for three months," Azad said.

Earlier in the day, one more person was killed and three injured as fresh violence broke out in Thoothukudi's Anna Nagar in the wake of anti-Sterlite protests.

With this latest incident, the death toll has reached 12.

Earlier in the day, additional security was deployed outside the Thoothukudi General Hospital after a bus was set ablaze there by protesters.

On Tuesday, 11 people were killed and more than 65 injured during protests against the construction of a new copper smelter by the Sterlite industries in Thoothukudi.

The agitation turned violent after protesters were barred from marching up to the plant, due to which they began to pelt stones and toppled police vehicles.

In retaliation, police officials resorted to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd to contain the situation.

The locals are up in arms against the construction of the copper plant, claiming that it would pollute groundwater in their area and cause serious environmental hazards. (ANI)

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