Cauvery: Stir on, pro-Tamil outfits see red over IPL in TN

The Cauvery issue continued to rock Tamil Nadu for the fourth consecutive day today with protests by DMK and other opposition parties, while two outfits opposed IPL matches scheduled here, even as a man who had consumed poison allegedly over the river-water row died.

Tamil Nadu is also bracing for tomorrow's bandh call by the DMK-led Opposition, which has been supported by others, including opposition affiliated trade-unions.

DMK held protest demonstrations across Tamil Nadu, in which cadres of it's ally Congress and other friendly outfits, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, participated.

Former city Mayor M Subramanian and sitting legislators, including Sekar Babu, were among the leaders of the main opposition who led the demonstrations here.

In Coimbatore, over 300 DMK workers, led by MLA N Karthik, were arrested when they attempted to stage a demonstration in front of a BSNL office.

In a novel protest, some 200 workers of DMK's youth wing came with some bulls and squatted on the road, putting rats in their mouths, in a symbolic gesture that farmers would have to consume rats if the Cauvery Management Board not not set up.

CPI State Secretary R Mutharasan led a rail blockade at Basin Bridge here. Similar protests were held in several parts of the state by CPI, including the one by former legislator Sivapunniyam at Peralam near Tiruvarur.

Protest demonstrations were also held in neighbouring Puducherry in front of Central government offices.

Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi chief and sitting MLA M Thamimun Ansari asked if IPL matches were needed when "farmers are shedding tears and people are yearning for drinking water."