Cauvery row: Tamil outfits try to burn PM’s effigy

The protesters alleged that by refusing to constitute the management board against the directives of Supreme Court, the BJP led Union government has lost its neutrality in addressing a dispute between two states, and has also set a dangerous precedence in other inter-state disputes and charged that the Prime Minister must owe all the responsibility for this mess. 

Even as large number of police personnel were stationed in the Central Bus Stand to prevent the Tamil Desiya Periyakkam cadres from burning the effigy of Prime Minister, without being noticed, the protesting cadres set fire to an effigy of the Prime Minister and ran away around the Periyar statue near the bus stand by raising slogans against Karnataka and Central governments. Chasing them the police detained as many as 16 protesters including a woman. 

Later, speaking to the reporters, Raja Ragunathan, general committee member of the protesting Periyakkam said, “Union government in Cauvery water sharing dispute has been showing a step motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu. This is certainly against the federal system of nation, and also questions the integrity of the ruling Union government. If it continues, the outfit will start promoting separatism,” he warned. 

In Puducherry over 100 volunteers of the Periyar Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam were arrested when they organised an agitation to condemn the Centre for failing to constitute the Cauvery Management Board. The volunteers gathered near the Periyar statue and shouted slogans against the Centre and against Karnataka for the attacks on Tamils there.

During the agitation, they attempted to burn the photograph of the Prime Minister which was thwarted by the police which led to an altercation between them. Following this, the police arrested them.