Chennai Police opposes farmers' plea to stage 90-day fast at Marina Beach to expedite setup of Cauvery board

Chennai: The city police on Thursday opposed a farmers’ plea to the Madras High Court for permission to stage a 90-day fast at the Marina Beach in Chennai to press for expeditious setting up of the Cauvery Management Board to implement the apex court judgement on the rive water distribution among the riparian states. The Chennai police opposed the plea by farmers’ leader P Ayyakkannu fearing the anti-social element may exploit the agitation and create law and order problem. [caption id=“attachment_4195655” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. News18[/caption] They also pointed out to the court that Marina was not in the list of places, designated for staging agitations. Ayyakannu, who had led a prolonged agitation in New Delhi last year pressing for farmers’ issues, has sought permission to observed a “hunger strike” at the Marina for 90 continuous days, demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. The group led by Ayyakannu earlier had staged bizarre protests, demonstrating with human skulls outside the prime minister’s residence and stripping and drinking urine during their agitation in Delhi. The counter to Ayyakannu’s petition, filed by the Greater Chennai police commissioner, said if the fast was allowed, the possibility of anti-social groups taking part in the stir and creating law and order problem could not be ruled out. It also said permission to go on a fast for 90 days cannot be granted as it was humanly impossible, physically incompatible and may have serious repercussions. The counter said all political parties, including the DMK and the AIADMK, were given permission for only one day to stage any demonstration, that too from morning to evening. The places for conducting agitations has already been earmarked, it said listing the locations, including Valluvar Kottam and the state Guest House in Chennai. Various political parties have staged protests over the Cauvery Management Board issue in Tamil Nadu in the past few weeks.