Delta on the boil, normalcy hit in west

While the AIADMK organsied a one-day hunger strike across the districts, the Opposition parties continued with their varied protests. Normalcy was hit in western Tamil Nadu too over a series of protests by opposition parties and trader bodies

In Tiruchy, district secretaries MP Kumar, Deputy Coordinator KP Munusamy and Minister Vellamandi Natarajan and S Valarmathi led the hunger strike at Anna statue near Chinthamani. 

“The state government is not to take a political gain over the issue. We are particular that the public should not be affected at any cost and so we have been staging a hunger strike,” Munusamy said. 

While in Thanjavur, R Vaithilingam, the deputy coordinator of the party and Rajya Sabha MP inaugurated the fast.  R Doraikkannu, Agriculture Minister, Vaigaiselvan, the party spokesperson of the party, MLAs C V Sekar (Pattukkottai), M Govindarasu (Peravurani) 

and others participated in the fast. 

Talking to reporters, Vaithilingam said even after the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) gave the final award, the Union government delayed notifying the award. At that time the Congress-DMK coalition was in power at the Centre, he pointed out. “If the Union government functions against the interests of Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK is ready to fight it,” he added.

In Coimbatore, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani sat on a hunger strike in Gandhipuram, while Minister Udumalai Radhakrishnan led the fast in Tirupur; AIADMK’s organising secretary Ponnaiayan spearheaded it in Salem and KA Sengottaiyan in Erode district. 

Opposition protests Meanwhile, the members of Opposition parties including DMK, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPM and MDMK staged a protest demonstration in front of the LIC Divisional office in Gandhiji Road in Tiruchy. 

In Coimbatore, over 100 DMK workers led by MLA N Karthik courted arrest, when they attempted to lay siege to the Coimbatore international airport. A minor scuffle prevailed, when cops attempted to block them. Rail rokos 

In Tiruchy, a group of farmers under the banner of Tamilaga Cauvery Vivasayigal Sangam, who were on their way to block trains, were intercepted and arrested by the police. 

Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, over 200 cadres from DMK, MDMK, Congress, left parties and farmer bodies blocked Coimbatore to Salem passenger train at Sulur railway station.  Further a group of DMK activists blocked the Raptisagar Express at Coimbatore railway junction. 

As many as 3,000 advocates boycotted court over the CMB issue. A majority of shops, hotels, bakeries and pharmacies remained closed in Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Tirupur districts. “Over one lakh shops, ranging from small ones to commercial complexes in Coimbatore remained closed heeding to our bandh call,” said G Irudhayaraja, Coimbatore district president of the trader’s association. 

The shutdown was near total in The Nilgiris causing hardship to tourists.