TN youths protest in Delhi over Cauvery issue

A group of youths from Tamil Nadu who stay here today took out a protest march alleging the BJP-led Centre was delaying the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board to make electoral "gains" in the upcoming Assembly polls in Karnataka.

The march began around 3 pm from the Rajiv Chowk metro station and was scheduled to conclude on the Parliament Street.

"Crop failure due to poor rainfall in the catchment area has resulted in drought in the Cauvery delta regions of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had given directions to frame schemes to properly distribute Cauvery water between states. However, the Centre is delaying the process keeping in mind the forthcoming assembly election in Karnataka," the Delhi Tamil Youth Forum Forum, which is spearheading the protest, said in a statement.

A DTYF member said they would meet Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari tomorrow to raise the demand.

Tamil Nadu has seen a series of protests over the Centre's failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB). During the Budget session of the parliament, that ended on April 6, AIADMK MPs raised the demand inside the house also.