Politicos pledge support to strike by farmers today

The strike is held to press for their demands that included waiver of farm loans, provision of drought relief and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as mandated by the final award of the Cauvery disputes tribunal.

The strike was also to urge the Centre to scrap the hydro-carbon project, interlinking of rivers and to prevent neighbouring states like Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh from constructing check dams. 

Except the AIADMK and the BJP, almost all political parties in the state, including the Opposition DMK, Congress, left parties, AIADMK Puratchi Thalaivi Amma of rebel leader O Panneerselvam, and TMC have pledged their support to the strike, Joint Movement President P K Deivasigamani said. 

He said as part of the peaceful agitation, road roko and rail roko agitations would be held across the state. Though normal life was expected to be unaffected in the city, the strike was likely to have an impact in Cauvery delta districts.