Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 3 (ANI): Tamil Nadu Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday strongly condemned the Maharashtra State Police for the arrest of Tamil Nadu farmers in Nagpur who were travelling to New Delhi to protest against the construction of the Mekedatu dam.
The farmers were on their way to the national capital to stage a “siege protest” against the Water Resources Department’s perceived bias in the ongoing river water dispute.
In a post on social media platform X, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “I strongly condemn the Maharashtra State Police for arresting Tamil Nadu farmers in Nagpur who were travelling by train to stage a siege protest in Delhi demanding that the construction of the Mekedatu dam be stopped.”
He further alleged that the protest was a response to the central authorities’ handling of the Mekedatu issue. “It is in condemnation of the Water Resources Department’s one-sided stance in favour of Karnataka from the very beginning on the Mekedatu issue that Tamil Nadu farmers announced the siege protest,” he added.
According to the DMK leader, the farmers were intercepted mid-journey and compelled to abandon their plans. “The Maharashtra Police forced them to get off midway while they were travelling by train and compelled them to return to Tamil Nadu,” the Minister stated.
Calling for immediate administrative and diplomatic intervention, Udhayanidhi urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to ensure the farmers’ safety and release.
“Tamil Nadu Chief Minister must take immediate action to secure the release of our farmers who have been arrested in Nagpur. While seeking an explanation from the Maharashtra government for arresting our farmers, efforts must be made to obtain an assurance that such incidents will not happen in the future,” he wrote.
Udhayanidhi Stalin also hit out at the Union government, demanding that the farmers be allowed to exercise their democratic rights. “The Union government should permit them to go to Delhi and protest. The right to protest through democratic means should not be snatched away,” he concluded.
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-running inter-state river water-sharing conflict with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu being the principal parties. The dispute revolves around how the waters of the Cauvery River should be shared, particularly during years of low rainfall.
The issue resurfaced amid developments concerning the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, proposed by Karnataka. It has been a major point of friction between the two states, with Tamil Nadu traditionally opposing it on the grounds that it would affect the flow of water downstream. (ANI)
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