CHENNAI: Continuing with their protest for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), opposition parties in the State will stage a human chain on April 23 across the State.Talking to reporters after chairing a meeting of the leaders of nine opposition parties here on Monday, DMK working president M K Stalin said, “We have decided to hold a human chain protest on April 23 in all district headquarters to press for formation of the Cauvery Management Board.”
The human chain would be staged from 4 pm to 5 pm, he added.
Flaying the Chief Minister for not taking steps to implement the decisions taken at an all-party meeting convened by the government on the Cauvery river water-sharing dispute, Stalin said the opposition parties had decided to meet the Prime Minister, if he wished to give an audience to them.
He noted that no message had been received from the Governor so far, regarding their plea to arrange an appointment with the Prime Minister.Since the AIADMK government has failed to act to save the people by fighting for the Cauvery Management Board, the Opposition was looking for the Governor, in his capacity as representative of the Centre, to act upon the issue, he stated.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko, Congress Legislature Party leader K R Ramasamy, CPM Politburo member G Ramakrishnan, CPI State secretary R Mutharasan, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, IUML national president K M Kader Mohideen and others participated in the meeting.The opposition parties have been staging various forms of protests demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board since April 1. Recently, they took out a Cauvery Rights Retrieval March in the Delta region, before staging #Go back Modi stir in Chennai.
TMC protests at Mettur
Salem: Urging the Union government to constitute Cauvery Management Board (CMB), Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) protested near the Mettur Dam on Monday. Party President G K Vasan arrived in a tractor to participate in the protest. Stating that the Centre was delaying CMB keeping in mind Karnataka elections, he said the protests by the party would continue till May 3, the deadline set by the Supreme Court. He also wanted the State and Central governments to drop the schemes that were against the interest of the people.
He said that the culprits in rape cases should be arrested and hanged within 24 hours. Earlier in the day, when Vasan went to stay at the Omalur inspection bungalow, he was denied permission in the last minute. Irked over this, TMC cadre staged a road-roko on Omalur Road. Later Vasan went to Thumbipadi and met farmers, who opposed the Salem airport expansion plan. Speaking among farmers, Vasan said that growth should be for people. “The government should stop the expansion of Airport. If they tried to acquire farm lands, we will protest against the airport and block its entrance along with farmers,” he warned.