CHENNAI: Vehicular movement in various parts of the city was affected again on Thursday following protests demanding the formation of the Cauvery Management Board. Vehicular movement on GST Road was severely affected as political parties, including the DMK, Congress, MDMK, CPI, CPM, TMC, TVK, MJMK, Naam Tamilar Katchi and others had planned a black flag protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the city to inaugurate the DefExpo-2018. This was to express displeasure over the delay in formation of the board.
While a Chennai police press release said traffic diversions would be from 11 am to 2.30 pm, vehicles were diverted even from 9.30 am at places near Adyar and Guindy. To prevent protests during Narendra Modi’s visit, a large number of police personnel were deployed on GST Road.Though the Prime Minister visited the venue by air, GST Road was closed for traffic from 9 am. The road leading from airport was blocked at Saidapet-Little Mount Junction and vehicles were diverted to Nandanam and Thiru Vi Ka bridge to reach Adyar. This increased commuting time by more than three hours.
“This is crazy. I am working at the airport and it took four hours to reach Kathipara flyover,” said T Sabapathi. “The usual time even during office hours will not be more than two hours from my house at Little Mount,” he said. A number of motorists started quarrelling with police personnel asking as to why they should be stopped when the PM was travelling by air to the venue.
“We heard that the Prime Minister is coming by helicopter. Then why should there be diversions at all,” lamented Nijanthan, who works in a private company at Pallavaram. “I am just returning from night duty and by the time I go home there won’t be enough time to get ready for the next round of duty,” he said.
They targeted PM, not Cauvery water: BJP
Chennai: Taking a strong exception to the black flag protests against Modi, BJP’s State chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said the only target of agitators was Modi and not bringing the Cauvery water to TN. “Despite the SC giving time to Centre till May 3 and appealing for peace, parties staged protests, which is tantamount to contempt of court,” she said