Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin was detained on Sunday after he led a flash demonstration in Chennai's Valluvar Kottam area, demanding the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). Joined by leaders of other opposition parties, he resorted to road roko before courting arrest.
This sudden protest came after opposition parties called for a one day bandh in Tamil Nadu on April 5. The move was aimed at stepping up the chorus for the setting up of CMB and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) to implement the final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. Top opposition leaders including MK Stalin,Congress chief Thirunavukkarasar, VCK chief Thirumavalavan, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan and Dravidar Kazhagam President K. Veeramani gave a joint statement announcing the state-wide bandh,
"In order to condemn the (Centre's) failure to constitute Cauvery Management Board and seeking three months time and press for the demand for setting up the board, It is decided to observe a one-day statewide bandh on April 5," a resolution unanimously adopted at the meeting reportedly declared.
The bandh is likely to affect all services as all opposition parties have given a joint call for shutdown.
DMK working president M K Stalin has reportedly said that the party cadres would show black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his scheduled visit to Chennai on April 11.
The DMK has also sought the support of the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to make the protest successful.
The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday meanwhile filed a contempt of court petition against the Union Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha and Water Resources Secy UP Singh for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board, as directed by the Supreme Court.
In its prayer to the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government seeks to, “initiate contempt of court proceedings against Respondents for wilful disobedience in carrying out the clear mandate set out in para 403 of the Judgement passed by this Hon’ble Court dated 16.02.2018 in C.A. No 2453 of 2007 and connected Appeals.”
The six week deadline given by the Supreme court to set up the CMB ended on March 26. The Supreme Court had pronounced its verdict on the Cauvery river water sharing dispute on February 16.
The court had directed Karnataka to release 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft) of water to Tamil Nadu. This reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water by 14.75 tmcft from the 192 tmcft allocated in 2007 by a tribunal.