MDMK chief Vaiko's nephew sets self on fire for Cauvery

Madurai: MDMK chief Vaiko’s nephew Saravana Suresh committed self-immolation at Virudhunagar Friday morning seeking constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. With severe burns, he was rushed to the Virudhunagar government hospital and later shifted to a private hospital at Madurai. 

The 50-year-old Suresh is the son of Ramanujam, brother of Vaiko’s wife. He had reportedly told his wife Amudha at about 5 am he was going out for a walk and stepped out. He doused himself with kerosene and set a match at a playground nearby at about 7 am, police said. They said with flames engulfing him, Suresh screamed demanding constitution of the CMB. 

Reports said Suresh had told his wife he was upset that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu (Friday) offered nothing on the formation of CMB despite the spontaneous protests by people across the state. 

The couple have a son doing third-year engineering and a daughter in school. Vaiko broke down before TV cameras, narrating the family's trauma. Though Suresh was not holding any party post, he was working for the MDMK for several years and even took part in the recent march against the Neutrina project at Theni.  "I am pleading with folded hands that our young people should not take their own lives for any cause", he said, sobbing.