DMK-led opposition parties call for Tamil Nadu bandh on April 5

Chennai: The all-party meeting convened by the opposition DMK here on Sunday called for a State-wide bandh on April 5, demanding that the Centre form the Cauvery Management Board. Also, it has been decided to show black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers when they visit Chennai later this month.

It has been planned to take out a “Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra,” following the bandh. After a meeting with friendly opposition parties at Anna Arivalayam, DMK working president M.K. Stalin, sought the support of all sections of society, including farmers and traders, for the bandh. TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, State secretaries of the CPI (M) and the CPI K. Balakrishnan and R. Mutharasan, respectively, were among the leaders who participated in the meeting.

The rally, Mr Stalin said, will begin from the Cauvery Delta region. The details of the “long journey” to secure the State’s rights on the Cauvery issue would be announced after consulting the leaders of friendly parties. Black flags will be shown at Mr Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues during their Tamil Nadu visits to express their protest for not implementing the Feb. 16 Supreme Court judgment on Cauvery.

Tamil Nadu has been pushed to hold protest demonstrations and agitations seeking to implement the order of the top court on the Cauvery issue due to the “collective negligence of the Central and State governments,” a resolution adopted at the meeting said. The resolution, which condemned the State and the Centre, said the AIADMK regime, a “partner” of the Central government has “bowed” before it.

Both the governments had moved the Supreme Court on Saturday on the issue of constitution and composition of the Cauvery Water Management Board in compliance with the February 16 verdict of the apex court on the vexed issue. In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery river water. It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award. The six-week period ended on March 29.

Speaking to reporters after chairing the all-party meet, Mr Stalin accused the Centre of “deceiving” Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue and charged that the AIADMK government has not taken appropriate action to secure the State’s rights.