Cauvery: DMK to form human chain on April 23

DMK-led opposition parties will hold human chain demonstrations in all the 32 districts of Tamil Nadu on April 23 urging the Centre to immediately set up the Cauvery Management Board.

The decision to stage the protest was taken today at a meeting of opposition parties chaired by DMK working president and Leader of the opposition in the state assembly M K Stalin.

The human chain protest to be held between 4 pm and 5 pm is both to urge the Centre to immediately set up the CMB and to condemn the AIADMK regime for "not taking" action on the matter, Stalin said.

A resolution adopted at the meeting urged Governor Banwarilal Purohit to take steps for immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, he told reporters.

Today's announcement comes days after Stalin had led leaders of opposition parties on a "Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra" between April 7 and April 12 covering the Cauvery basin region in the state.

The political parties and pro-Tamil oufits have been staging protests demanding setting up of CMB.

Since the AIADMK regime "did not come forward to exert pressure on the Centre to set up the CMB," the Governor was urged to take action as a follow up to a memorandum submitted to him by the oppositoin on April 13 in this regard, he said.

It has also been decided to seek the appointment of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him on the travails of the farmers over the Cauvery issue on behalf of the opposition parties in the state, he said.

Stalin said the AIADMK regime did not implement a resolution passed at a recent all-party meeting to meet the Prime Minister on the Cauvery issue and hence it has now been decided by the opposition to seek appointment by themselves.

Congress, VCK, MDMK, CPI(M), CPI, IUML and MMK were among the parties which attended the meeting today.