Protests rage in Tamil Nadu for CMB, activists attempt self-immolation

It was a day of protests in Tamil Nadu on Monday against the Central government's failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) despite a Supreme Court order.

Activists of the DMK and other organisations staged noisy demonstrations protests here and in other parts of the state.

DMK members protested at several places in the city including the arterial Anna Salai stretch in Saidapet, disrupting traffic.

In Coimbatore, around 500 km from here, DMK members stopped a train by squatting on train tracks.

The party and its allies have called for a shutdown on April 5 over the Cauvery issue.

Members of some fringe organisations picketed post offices and Central government offices in the state.

In Mannargudi, students protested outside their colleges.

The Centre has failed to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of the Supremem court's order of February 16. The six-week deadline ended on March 29.

Tamil Nadu political leaders say the BJP is acting in favour of Karnataka, which is opposed to the CMB and where Assembly elections are due.

The DMK has said black flags would be shown to Prime Minister Narendra Modi whenever he comes to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, police in Thiruvannamalai rounded up several youths who showed black flags to BJP Tamil Nadu cief Tamilisai Soundararajan on Monday.

According to reports reaching here, Puducherry's Lt.Governor Kiran Bedi has written to Modi to constitute the CMB in the interests of people of the Union Territory.