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Coimbatore
Cauvery Management Board: 2 attempt self immolation, over 500 arrested for rail roko
April 2, 2018
COIMBATORE: Amid road picketing and rail roko over formation of Cauvery Management Board, two DMK workers on Monday attempted self immolation in the city, demanding immediate setting up of the board.
As DMK workers were busy squatting on roads and railway track elsewhere in the city, P.T. Murugesan and Singai Sadhashivam suddenly came with kerosene cans and poured over themselves at Peelamedu on Avinashi Road in the city.
However, police overpowered them and foiled their bid to immolate, by covering them with bed sheets and splashing water, police said. Meanwhile, DMK MLA N. Karthik along with 100 party workers, staged a rail roko at Singanallur station, delaying the movement of train to Erode from the city.
In the meantime, a group of farmers and members of some fringe outfits gathered in front of Collector’s office and raised slogans seeking to form the board. Even as 100 DMK workers, led by State Women’s wing joint organiser, Meena Loganathan, squatted on the road near VOC Park Grounds, former Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy staged picketing in Gandhipuram, along with State Youth wing Joint Secretary Pynthami Pari.
Some 50 workers staged picketing in front of Post office in Pollachi in the district, raising slogans against both the Centre and State Governments. All involved in the agitation were arrested.
Meanwhile, nearly 200 farmers and youths from various organisations staged a rail roko in Tirupur railway station and were removed by police. The protesters demanded legal action against the Centre and also Prime Minister for contempt of Court as they failed to set up the board within the time frame as directed by Supreme Court.
About 50 press and media persons, majority of them wearing black shirts, formed a human chain in front of the office of the District Collector, to lodge their protest against the failure of the Centre on the issue.
As a precautionary measure, adequate police are deployed around VOC Grounds and also the Central Government installations across the city, including airport and BSNL offices.
