Tiruchirapalli: DMK Working President M K Stalin today began a mega rally over the Cauvery issue that will cover the delta regions of Tamil Nadu, seeking immediate setting up of a management board to ensure release of water for farmers.
Days after holding a state-wide shutdown steered by his party on the river water issue, Mr Stalin began his rally from the dry river banks of river Cauvery at suburban Mukkombu, in which tens of hundreds of cadres of DMK and other opposition parties participated.
State secretaries of the CPM and CPI, K Balakrishnan and R Mutharasan respectively and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, MMK leader M H Jawahirullah were among those who accompanied Stalin in his Cauvery yatra.
Mr Stalin said the present rally now was in continuation of such programmes on the Cauvery issue.
Mr Stalin blamed the State government for waiting till the end of the Supreme Court set March 29 deadline for mounting pressure on the Centre for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
The ruling regime did not heed his party's advice to go in for mass resignation of its MPs to pressure the Centre. Had it done so, his party's Rajya Sabha MPs, though only four, would have followed suit, he said.
A new 'rally song' by DMK "Tamizha,Tamizha," which blames the Central and state governments on the issue, was played.
While the Stalin-led rally began here today, another similar journey, to be led by former Union Minister A Raja and other senior DMK leaders, will begin on April 9 from Ariyalur district. Both rallies would converge at Cuddalore on April 13.
Later, Mr Stalin is scheduled to call on Governor Banwarilal Purohit and present him the Cauvery resolutions seeking the CMB.
Ahead of the start of the rally, farmers leader P Ayyakannu said if the CMB was not set up, Cauvery waters would not be available leading to desertification in Tamil Nadu.
"Protect the farmers," he told the gathering of cadres of opposition parties.
CPM State Secretary K Balakrishnan said the State government 'does not have the guts' to question the Centre for filing a plea in the Supreme Court seeking "three months time" over the Cauvery issue without constituting the CMB.
Thol Thirumavalavan said the ruling AIADMK stood isolated due to its handling of the Cauvery issue while all other Opposition parties have rallied behind the DMK.
The rally signified people, parties and farmers standing together over the Cauvery issue to pressure the Centre to get the CMB formed, he said.
Chief of rationalist outfit Dravidar Kazhagam K Veeramani, leaders of left parties, Balakrishnan and Mutharasan, IUML leader K M Khader Mohideen, MMK leader Jawahirullah, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee leader Velusamy, MDMK presidium chairman Duraisamy spoke welcoming the Stalin-led rally.
Days after holding a state-wide shutdown steered by his party on the river water issue, Mr Stalin began his rally from the dry river banks of river Cauvery at suburban Mukkombu, in which tens of hundreds of cadres of DMK and other opposition parties participated.
State secretaries of the CPM and CPI, K Balakrishnan and R Mutharasan respectively and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, MMK leader M H Jawahirullah were among those who accompanied Stalin in his Cauvery yatra.
Mr Stalin said the present rally now was in continuation of such programmes on the Cauvery issue.
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Mr Stalin blamed the State government for waiting till the end of the Supreme Court set March 29 deadline for mounting pressure on the Centre for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
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The ruling regime did not heed his party's advice to go in for mass resignation of its MPs to pressure the Centre. Had it done so, his party's Rajya Sabha MPs, though only four, would have followed suit, he said.
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A new 'rally song' by DMK "Tamizha,Tamizha," which blames the Central and state governments on the issue, was played.
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While the Stalin-led rally began here today, another similar journey, to be led by former Union Minister A Raja and other senior DMK leaders, will begin on April 9 from Ariyalur district. Both rallies would converge at Cuddalore on April 13.
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Later, Mr Stalin is scheduled to call on Governor Banwarilal Purohit and present him the Cauvery resolutions seeking the CMB.
Ahead of the start of the rally, farmers leader P Ayyakannu said if the CMB was not set up, Cauvery waters would not be available leading to desertification in Tamil Nadu.
"Protect the farmers," he told the gathering of cadres of opposition parties.
CPM State Secretary K Balakrishnan said the State government 'does not have the guts' to question the Centre for filing a plea in the Supreme Court seeking "three months time" over the Cauvery issue without constituting the CMB.
Thol Thirumavalavan said the ruling AIADMK stood isolated due to its handling of the Cauvery issue while all other Opposition parties have rallied behind the DMK.
The rally signified people, parties and farmers standing together over the Cauvery issue to pressure the Centre to get the CMB formed, he said.
Chief of rationalist outfit Dravidar Kazhagam K Veeramani, leaders of left parties, Balakrishnan and Mutharasan, IUML leader K M Khader Mohideen, MMK leader Jawahirullah, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee leader Velusamy, MDMK presidium chairman Duraisamy spoke welcoming the Stalin-led rally.
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