Chennai: With just three days left for the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board, state-wide demonstrations and protests are only growing across the state.
The chorus seeking resignation of Tamil Nadu MPs also grew louder on Monday and the farmers in Delta districts conducted closed door meetings to discuss the next course of action.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan on Monday demanded the resignation of TN MPs. “It seems that the Centre is not keen in formulating the Cauvery water management board as per the Supreme Court order. And if the centre fails to implement the court order, then the TN MPs should force the Centre to act and they should also be ready to resign enmasse,” Thirumavalavan said.
Meanwhile, farmers associations in Delta districts conducted meetings to discuss on the next course of action if the water management board was not formed before the weekend.
“We have plans to intensify our protests in Delhi and similar demonstrations will be held in Chennai seeking the attention of policy makers. We are left with no other option as the Centre and Karnataka continue to play with our livelihood and there is no aggression from the state parties. This time we are gearing up to address our issues like the jallikatttu demonstration,” an office bearer of Cauvery Delta Farmers Association told DC.
In Chennai about 100 members of less known Desiya Makkal Katchi thronged the Reserve Bank of India and raised slogans criticising the Centre and Karnataka. “The Centre and the state had failed to understand the agony of the delta farmers and the farmers are aware of the political drama played by both the BJP and the Congress. The farmers are upset over the Centre and its anti-people governance,” said S. M. Narayanan of Makkal Desiya Katchi who led a demonstration in front of the Reserve Bank of India near secretariat.
Meanwhile, fisheries minister D Jayakumar clarified that the state was clear on its stand in setting up the Cauvery management board. “We will not settle for anything less than the management board and we are hoping that the centre will form the board within the stipulated time,” the minister told reporters here on Monday. Former CM J. Jayalalithaa was keen on restoring the riparian rights of Tamil Nadu over cauvery and we will not deter from our stand on Cauvery, the minister said.
