Hundreds of people were arrested in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts on Wednesday after they picketed Central government establishments.
Coming under the Cauvery Protection Movement, they protested against the Centre for its alleged support to Karnataka in its bid to construct reservoirs across the Cauvery. They also demanded the scrapping of the coal bed methane extraction project in delta districts.
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko, who coordinated the Movement, was among those arrested here.
Mr. Vaiko slammed the DMK for not participating in the demonstration. It was during the DMK regime that an MoU between the Tamil Nadu government and the Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited was signed, he said.
He criticised the Narendra Modi government for turning a blind eye to Karnataka's bid to illegally construct reservoirs across river Cauvery at Mekedatu to deprive Tamil Nadu of its share of water. Mr. Vaiko slammed the Centre for not deterring the upper riparian State's “nefarious move” that “threatened” the integrity of the nation.
He called upon AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa and Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to pass resolutions in the ongoing Assembly session on scrapping of the MoU on methane project and to urge the Centre to rescind the pacts it recently signed with Sri Lanka that went against the House's earlier resolve seeking economic sanctions against the island nation.
