Vaiko, over 5000 Activists Arrested for Staging Blockade
MDMK chief Vaiko and more than 5000 workers of several political parties and organizations have been taken into custody while trying to blockage vehicular traffic towards Kerala at six places on Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue, said media reports.
They were staging blockade in protest against Kerala government’s approach on Inter-state water disputes, especially Mullaiperiyar dam, and against construction of a new dam across Pambar river, which they claimed would dispossess Tamil Nadu of its rightful share of water for irrigation in over 2.17 lakh acres, reports said.
Addressing workers at KG Chavadi on Palakkad Road, Vaiko said that the blockade was also intended at snubbing the ‘biased approach of the UPA government towards Tamil Nadu with regard to river water disputes’, said reports.
He clarified that the protest was not against Tamil Nadu’s DMK government but against the Centre and it was also meant to convey the sentiments of Tamil Nadu people to Kerala Government, the Supreme Court and the Centre so that they could take a decision in everyone’s interests, reports said.
Police said that other leaders of MDMK as its president Kolathur Mani and general secretary, K Ramakrishnan and Hindu Makkal Katchi were arrested, said reports.
Blockade was being staged at six other places such as Kumili, Cumbum Mettur, Bodimettu, Cumbum, Kazhiyakkavizhai and Sengottah in the State, reports said.
Reacting to the protest, Kerala Water Resources Minister NK Premachandran said that in Thiruvanathapuram, state capital, that this was part of political campaign by parties like MDMK, said reports.
He said that Kerala would not react emotionally to attempts to create provocation, reports said.
(Based on internet reports)
