Chennai: Protests against the Centre over the Cauvery dispute have intensified over the last two weeks and on Thursday, all Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu staged protests in different parts of Chennai showing black flags and releasing black balloons in the air during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Chennai.
Demonstrations were held near the airport, where a section of the protesters climbed on top of a billiboard and waved black flags. Protesters raised the #GoBackModi slogan both on social media and during street protests. DMK Working President MK Stalin tweeted and asked the Prime Minister to “look down and see black flags and the anger of the people. He added that if the petition is not withdrawn, the anger of the people of Tamil Nadu will not die down.
Meanwhile, DMK leaders staged protests by hoisting black flags at their residences and at the DMK Headquarters in Chennai. DMK Supremo Karunanidhi wore a black shirt to show his displeasure at PM Modi's visit while DMK cadre in Coimbaore district sent messages to Modi through pigeons. They used the carrier birds, they said, because Modi had used a chopper during his visit. The pigeons carried the message ‘Constitute Cauvery Management Board’.
Black flag was hoisted atop DMK headquarters ahead of PM Modi's visit.
Manu Sundaram, DMK Spokesperson, said, "The intensity of opposition protests is evident from the sea of black flags on the streets and nationally trending #GoBackModi on social media. Nehru and Indira Gandhi - Modi's illustrious predecessors - had also borne the brunt of Tamil anger for misreading Tamil Nadu and for their roles in Hindi imposition and Emergency, respectively. But, it would be an understatement to say that no Prime Minister has been this despised by the state. BJP will pay a heavy price in the upcoming election for its mishandling of Cauvery and for the continued trampling of rights of Tamils.”
Actor turned politician Kamal Haasan sent a video message to the Prime Minister, in which he said the Karnataka elections should not be the reason for the delay in setting up Cauvery Management Board. "People of Tamil Nadu are fighting for justice. Justice has been given but it is not being executed. People have started to believe that this delay is due to Karnataka elections, which is dangerous and embarrassing. I hope you will change this. You have to constitute Cauvery Water Management Board for the betterment of Tamil and Kannadiga people. That’s your duty. To remind you is my duty. Whatever I haven’t said through this video, I shall include in a letter that I’m writing to you. Please act and pave way for change,” he said in his video message.
While the Opposition has joined hands to protest Modi's Chennai visit, the AIADMK State Government has not opposed the visit or criticized the Centre over the delay in the setting-up of the Board
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