CHENNAI: Scores of people, including women and college students, staged a protest on the Marina on Saturday, demanding that the CMB be set up. The participants gathered holding placards and raised slogans against the Centre.
Tight police security was present in the area after messages calling for a protest on the Marina started circulating on social networking sites on Saturday. The protesters were stopped by around 200 police personnel, who were deployed to avoid a repeat of the Jallikattu protests in January last year. Senior police officials rushed to the spot and the service lane of Kamarajar Salai was shut. People, who came in groups, were barred entry.
“Though we all stay in Chennai, our families still do agriculture in our native places. If farmers are not given importance and there is water shortage, it will directly impact agriculture. The State government should urge the Central government to constitute the board,” Mayil Alagan, a protester said.
Hotels, shops to join stir
The Tamil Nadu Hotel Association has announced support to the one-day fast announced by the AIADMK in protest against the Centre’s delay in constituting CMB. The Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangain Peramaippu also declared to shut down all shops associated with it on Tuesday. A group of farmer associations in Thanjavur also announced a rail blockade on April 3. Over 10 organisations have called for a 12-hour bandh in Puducherry on April 11