COIMBATORE: Nearly 2,000 workers of various political parties and organisations were arrested, when they attempted to stage rail roko and resorted to picketing to block buses in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Salem districts, demanding immediate constitution of Cauvery Management Board.

Condemning the Centre for ‘deliberately delaying’ the formation of the board, some of the agitators termed the Modi Government as “KD Government”, while raising slogans. mFormer Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, along with 500 workers of DMK, Congress, Left parties, raised slogans and squatted on the railway track and blocked the way for the movement of Mettupalayam passenger at North Coimbatore station.

Similarly DMK MLA representing Singanallur constituency N. Karthik, MDMK District Secretary R.R. Mohan Kumar and Congress District unit President Mayura Jayakaumar were among 500 workers arrested for not allowing a train to proceed in the City railway station, police said.

Some 200 party workers were arrested, when they tried to lay siege of BSNL office near the District Collectorate in the city and 300 DMK and Left parties workers were arrested near Salem Railway station for staging rail roko.

Meanwhile, majority of shops and traders, including medical shops, downed their shutter in response to the call given by the respective unions, in support of immediate formation of the Board.

In Tirupur, over 6,000 knitwear manufacturing units remained closed, leading to a production loss of Rs.100 crore. Utensil manufacturers in nearby Anuparpalayam also downed their shutters, resulting in a business loss of Rs. 1.50 crore.

Meanwhile, reports reached police headquarters about the incident of stone throwing at opened shops and forcible closure of the shops. While 90 per cent of autorickshaws and taxis were off the road, there only a few government buses plied in the city. police said.