Thousands of farmers protest Karnataka dam plan
Over 1,400 protesters were taken into custody at 15 points in Thanjavur district
Thanjavur: Even as normal life got hit in the entire delta region with the farmers and political parties enforcing total bandh that witnessed closure of shops, blocking the roads and stopping of trains on Saturday, MDMK chief Vaiko slammed the Centre for not setting up the Cauvery Regulatory Authority and the Cauvery Management Board for ensuring that Tamil Nadu got its due share of the river water. Over 1,400 protesters were taken into custody at 15 points in Thanjavur district, police said.
Addressing a large group of agitators demanding justice in the Cauvery issue and also opposing the Karnataka government move to construct two reservoirs across the river at Makedatu, Vaiko pointed out that the future of several lakhs of the delta farmers depended on the Cauvery releases.
Recalling that former chief minister Jayalalithaa had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting and also in several letters after that, to constitute the Cauvery authority and board, Vaiko said his party would support her initiatives to get justice for the state and its farmers.