Don't let TN stop Stalin visits to desilting water bodies: DMK plea in Madras HC
Chennai: The DMK has approached the Madras high court to restrain the state government from preventing or interfering or interrupting the visit of DMK party's working president M.K. Stalin to anywhere in the state for the purpose of visiting the water bodies for desilting by DMK party cadres.
Justice M.Duraiswamy before whom the petition filed by DMK represented by its legal wing secretary R.Girirajan, came up for hearing adjourned it to August 4 for filing counter affidavit.
According to petitioner, people were agitating in various parts of the state demanding regular supply of water. Due to the prevailing dry weather in the state, it was imperative to desilt water bodies ahead of the monsoon so that they were able to hold water through the rest of the year. Since the state government has not undertaken any desilting of water bodies in the state, the DMK party's working president M.K.Stalin (leader of Opposition, TN legislative assembly), requested the party cadres to help desilting water bodies, like ponds and tanks in the state so that the people may not face water scarcity and agriculture would not be adversely affected. Heeding his appeal, in many places across the state, ponds and lakes have been desilted by DMK cadres, he added.
He said Stalin was touring the state to inspect the desilted ponds and tanks and to appreciate the efforts of party cadres. He has so far visited Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tutikorin and most recently Tiruvannamalai. The state government, fazed by the enormous support from the people of the state for the DMK's desilting campaign, has adopted various methods using the machinery of the state and the district administration to thwart this campaign. On July 27, when Stalin was traveling by car to inspect the Kacharayanpalayam tank near Konganapuram, which had been recently desilted by the DMK cadres and to interact with members of the public on various social issues, his car was stopped by the police near Kaniyur toll plaza and he was taken to a marriage hall and detained. Later, an order was passed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Salem, denying permission for holding a human chain protest demanding withdrawal of Neetwas produced and used as justification for detaining him and preventing his visit. However, the human chain protest, which was to be conducted at a different place and time, was in no way connected to his visit to Konganapuram, a sub-urban area in Salem district, he added.
He said the ruling party in collusion with the district administration and police acted to prevent Stalin's visit to the desilted Kacharayanpalayam tank. This was an apparent act of political retaliation as the tank was located in the constituency represented by the Chief Minister and Stalin's visit would only highlight the lackadaisical attitude of the state government towards water management.
The cadres of the ruling party were annoyed by desilting done by the DMK cadres, which exposed the incapacity of the government to respond to people needs. Freedom of speech, movement and assembly, being fundamental rights, cannot be arbitrarily restricted by the state. The attempt to prevent Stalin's visit would be violative of the provisions of the Constitution, he added.
