TN CM leads ruling party's fast over Cauvery issue

Chennai: Top AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami today sat on a hunger strike here leading his partymen on a day-long fast “condemning the Centre” for not setting up the Cauvery Management Board in compliance with the Supreme Court order.

Following Palaniswami, his deputy and AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam arrived at the fast venue in Chepauk here. The arrival of the top two AIADMK leaders came as a surprise as the party had earlier said that barring them, all other leaders will take part in the fast.

“The hunger strike is to condemn the central government for not forming the CMB,” the AIADMK in a statement said. The names of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam also did not figure in the list of district wise participants of the AIADMK. Panneerselvam told reporters here that the AIADMK’s hunger strike would be a success.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, AIADMK presidium chairman E Madusudanan were among other leaders who have sat on a day long fast here. In various districts, Ministers and senior leaders representing the districts are leading the hunger strike.

In its February 16 judgement, the apex court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water. The apex court granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Following the verdict, Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to set up the CWMB and CWRC to ensure it received its due share of water from the inter-state river. The six-week period ended on March 29.