Cauvery dispute: AIADMK to ramp up pressure on Centre to implement SC verdict, hold rallies across Tamil Nadu on 25, 29 April

Chennai: Ruling AIADMK on Friday said it would hold state-wide public meetings on the Cauvery issue between 25 and 29 April to urge the Centre to implement the Supreme Court verdict to ensure water for irrigation in the Delta districts. [caption id=“attachment_3377910” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of AIADMK supporters. Reuters[/caption] The “massive” public meetings would be held in Cauvery Delta districts of Tamil Nadu and top leaders, including Chief Minister K Palaniswamy and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will address them. The move to further mount pressure over the Centre by the ruling AIADMK comes following a “Cauvery Rights Retrieval Rally” held by arch rival DMK and its friendly parties between 7 and 12 April covering the same Cauvery delta region. Panneerselvam and Palaniswamy, party coordinator and co-coordinator respectively, in a party release here appealed to AIADMK functionaries, workers and the general public to take part in the mega rallies. The AIADMK, which staged a state-wide fast on 3 April, seeking constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and to condemn the Centre on the issue said: “the massive public meetings will be held to urge the Centre to implement the Supreme Court verdict.” It said implementation of the verdict was imperative to release water for irrigation to delta districts from the Mettur reservoir on 12 June. On 3 April, ending the day-long fast, chief minister Palaniswamy had said, “We will fight, get justice and win.” The hunger strike by ‘15 lakh’ party cadres was reflective of the aspirations of the people and farmers on the issue, he had said. Facing a high pitch campaign and relentless attack from DMK and other opposition parties on the Cauvery issue for its alleged inaction, AIADMK said Palaniswamy will address a grand public rally on 28 April at Tiruvarur in the heart of the Cauvery delta region. On the same day, Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and party’s propaganda secretary M Thambidurai will address a rally at Karur. Deputy Chief Minister and party coordinator O Panneerselvam will address a similar meeting on 25 April at Nagapattinam district. State Ministers, including Food Minister R Kamaraj, Local Administration Minister SP Velumani, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar will take part in the rallies, the AIADMK said. The AIADMK rallies also come against the backdrop of the DMK-led opposition parties’ proposed human chain demonstrations in all 32 districts of Tamil Nadu on 23 April to urge the Centre to immediately set up the CMB.