Rail roko protests see the arrests of top leaders including Stalin, Thol Thirumavalanan and others

DMK led opposition protests over Cauvery issue began early in the morning with party activists stopping trains at many places across Tamil Nadu.

The protests, in which the entire opposition participated along with farmers associations, held up or delayed several trains. The protests are against “Anti-Tamil Nadu” Modi government, especially after its u turn on the constitution of Cauvery Water Management Board.

In Chennai, among the leaders held by police for violating law and order were DMK legislative party leader MK Stalin and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalanan, besides hundreds of their supporters.

First to be arrested and taken away in a bus was Thol Thurumavalanan, at Basin Bridge station in Chennai for trying to halt local trains. It is on this line that major trains enter Chennai from North and Central India.

At Perambur station in North Chennai, Stalin sat on railway tracks, halting the movement of local trains.

Condemning the attitude of the central government, the DMK activists asserted that they would not allow trains to and fro Bangalore that run on this route.

Noisy protests were held all over Tamil Nadu.

The protesters condemned the central government and Karnataka government. At Chennai central station, Vaiko and his supporters were sitting on dharna on this issue, amid slogan shouting against the two governments that the protesters alleged were working against the interests of Tamil Nadu.

Senior DMK leader and former union minister TR Balu was among the activists at the Tambaram station.

Vaiko said, “we condemned Modi government, for its step motherly treatment of Tamil Nadu and take action against Karnataka for not accepting the verdict of the Supreme Court.”

Farmers leader Aiyyakannan was detained in Tiruchirapalli. He charged the Modi government with being anti-Tamil Nadu. The BJP local leadership has failed the people of Tamil Nadu, he said.

CPI leader Muthuarasan, echoing the sentiments and stand of the entire opposition parties, said, “the BJP is engaging in double speak.” Enough proof is there in the BJP double speak in Supreme Court on water management board, which was only with an eye on Karnataka assembly elections.

BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundarrajan said “there is no need for any protests. The central government is fully seized of the matter and Tamil Nadu’s interests would be protected at all costs.”