SC Defers Cauvery Case to 3 May, TN, K’Taka Told to Maintain Peace
TN opposition is protesting AIADMK government’s failure to set up a Cauvery Board by 29 March, as instructed by SC.
The Supreme Court on 9 April took up the Tamil Nadu government’s contempt petition against the Centre, posting the matter for further hearing on 3 May. The apex court has also directed the Centre to file a draft scheme on the Cauvery dispute on the same day.
Tamil Nadu's contempt petition accused the Centre of failing to set up the Cauvery Management Board as directed by the apex court’s 16 February order.
Protests over the Cauvery dispute have come to a head across the state, wit DMK working president MK Stalin launching a 'Retrieval March' from Trichy to Chennai.
- Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra heads the SC bench that will hear the contempt petition today
- DMK working president MK Stalin launched a ‘Retrieval March’ from Trichy on Saturday
- Rajinikanth & other Tamil actors took part in a silent protest on Sunday to lend their support
SC Defers Matter to 3 May
The Supreme Court pushed the contempt petition for further hearing on 3 May, directing the Centre to file a draft scheme on the same day.
The apex court also asked the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain peace till the Court finalises the scheme for implementation of its judgment.
Stalin Continues 'Cauvery Retrieval March'
DMK working president MK Stalin continued the 'Cauvery Retrieval Walk' in Thanjavur to demand immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
Delhi Residents Take Out Protests
Delhi residents hailing from Tamil Nadu have shown solidarity, taking out a protest march on Sunday, 8 April, to demand the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
Rajnikanth, Other Tamil Actors Take Part in Protests
Tamil actors Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan, composer Ilayaraja and other other members from the Tamil film industry took part in the protests demanding the formation of the Cauvery Management Board on Sunday.
Actors Vijay, M Nassar and Vishal also participated in the protests.
Tamil Nadu CM Holds Meet to Discuss Cauvery Water Sharing Crisis
On Saturday, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edippadi K Palaniswami held a meeting with legal experts and state ministers over the ongoing court proceedings on the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
The state government had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against the centre for not constituting the board within the stipulated time.
The very same day, DMK working president MK Stalin launched the 'Cauvery retrieval walk' from Tamil Nadu’s Trichy's Mukkombu to demand the immediate constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.
All Party Meet Over Cauvery Management Board Constitution Underway
All Party meeting over Cauvery Management Board constitution matter underway in Chennai.
Trichy Farmers Bury Themselves, Then Get Evicted by Police
Farmers in Trichy who were protesting by partially burying themselves in sand on banks of Cauvery river have been evicted by police, ANI reported.
DMK-Led Opposition Parties Bandh Near Total in Tamil Nadu
The DMK-led opposition parties' sponsored bandh demanding setting up of the Cauvery Management Board was by and large peaceful and near total in Tamil Nadu on 5 April, barring stone-pelting incidents in some parts.
Police said stone pelting incidents were reported from places including Chennai, Vellore, Erode and Sivaganga.
A police man was injured in Chennai in a stone-pelting incident, they said.
Although state-run transport corporation buses were operated, it witnessed a drop in services owing to support for the bandh from opposition backed trade unions, including DMK's LPF. Suburban train services and Metro rail operations were not affected.
Banks, pharmacies, hospitals and schools, however, remained open.
Hitting out at the AIADMK regime for being "subservient" to the Centre, Stalin said the state should pressure the Centre to withdraw its plea in the Supreme Court.
Kannada Outfits Call for Bandh on 12 April
In a counter to the on-going stir in Tamil Nadu, pro-Kannada outfit Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj has given a bandh call in the state on 12 April.
He also criticised Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan for supporting the formation of the CMB.
DMK-led opposition parties have been observing a statewide shutdown in Tamil Nadu demanding the centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board.
Lok Sabha Adjourned
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday, 5 April over the ongoing Cauvery dispute.
MK Stalin, Protestors Detained
TN Police detained DMK working president MK Stalin along with hundreds of protestors during the march from Anna statue to Marina Beach in the light of ongoing Cauvery dispute.
Visuals of DMK-led Protests
Security Tightened in TN
Police sources in Chennai told The Quint that close to one lakh police personnel will be deployed on duty across TN, with 20,000 to be deployed in Chennai alone. Government buses from Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru are reportedly being stopped at Hosur in the light of ongoing Cauvery dispute.
DMK-Led Opposition Calls for Statewide Bandh
Opposition parties led by DMK announced a statewide bandh on 5 April, to protest the Centre’s ‘failure’ to form the Cauvery Water Management Board. DMK has also called for an all-party meet later in the day at 6 pm. Traders organisations and transport unions have also said that they will be joining the strike.
Tamil Nadu Cannot ‘Hallucinate’ Over Cauvery Management Board: Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan has amped up the campaign against the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu and has slammed the fast by them. At a meeting with his supporters in Trichy, he said that the Centre’s last-minute move to seek a clarification and time from the Supreme Court was motivated by electoral politics.
“We were hopeful that the Supreme Court order would be implemented and the Centre will constitute the Cauvery Management Board within the deadline of six weeks. The court had unequivocally said that no extension will be granted under any grounds. But today, to our dismay we are witnessing a repeat of what happened in 2016,” he said.
He cited a September 2016 Supreme Court order directing the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board within four weeks and the Centre had failed to do so citing ‘legal technicalities.’
Haasan also lashed at the Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami.
'Will Protest Till We Get Justice': OPS
Addressing the media from the protest site, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that they would not end their protests till a Cauvery Management Board was not formed.
Will the Centre Listen to Tamil Nadu?
The Tamil Nadu government has initiated contempt proceedings against the Centre for not complying with the directions of the Supreme Court to frame a scheme to implement the water sharing arrangement. At an all-party meeting on 1 April, DMK working president MK Stalin said: “On 11 April, (Narendra) Modi will be visiting Tamil Nadu and on that day a black flag protest will be conducted. We have repeatedly sent letters to the PMO on the Cauvery issue but have not received any reply from them.”
“If the AIADMK members resign we will also have our representatives resign,” he added. The Bharatiya Janata Party was defying the apex court to score brownie points in poll-bound Karnataka, which has opposed the Cauvery Management Board, state Opposition parties have alleged.
This 765-km Cauvery river, also called the Ganga of the south, is the lifeline for Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Ground Report of AIADMK's Fast at Chepauk
'We Will Pull Another Jallikattu-Style Protest'
Thousands of people who gathered at Chepauk, Chennai, on Tuesday, 3 April, criticised the BJP government for not factoring the demands put forth by Tamil Nadu. Many said that if the government doesn’t constitute the Cauvery Management Board soon, they will take to protesting in large numbers – a repeat of the Jallikattu-style protests.
A Repeat of Jayalalithaa's 1993 Protest?
In July 1993, late chief minister J Jayalalithaa sat on a fast unto death at the Marina Beach pressurising the governments in New Delhi and Bengaluru. The demands were conceded to.
Twenty-five years later, the state faces the same issue. But will the AIADMK, now without Jayalalithaa, put up a good fight?
Over 3,000 People Join AIADMK Protests
Over 3,000 people have gathered at Chepauk, Chennai, condemning the Centre’s inaction to set up the Cauvery Management Board.
SC Agrees to Hear Centre's Plea on 9 April
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on 9 April the Centre's plea for clarification on the Cauvery water dispute verdict, PTI reported. The Union government referred to divergent views of concerned states on setting up the Cauvery management scheme.
Tamil Nadu Governor to Meet PM
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Cauvery issue on Tuesday, 3 April, ANI reported.
CM Palaniswami Begins Hunger Strike
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam have started their hunger strike seeking constitution of the Cauvery Management Board in Chennai.
Traders’ Bandh to Hit Normal Life in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is likely to be affected by the bandh call by a section of traders, including milk suppliers and pharmacists, on Tuesday, 3 April, The New Indian Express reported.
The ruling AIADMK will observe a fast at Chepauk in Chennai. Across the state, ministers and important leaders will observe similar hunger strike in the districts.
Over 20 lakh shops are likely to remain shut on Tuesday, NDTV reported.
Around 200 DMK Workers Detained
Around 200 DMK party workers, who have been protesting at Saidapet, Chennai, were detained on Monday, 2 April.
They plan to continue their protests. After a meeting of all the Opposition parties on Sunday, a statewide bandh was announced.
SC to Hear Petition on 9 April
The Supreme Court will hear the contempt petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government regarding the Cauvery Management Board on 9 April.
AIADMK to Move No-Trust Motion against NDA in Parliament
Senior leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai said that the AIADMK will consider moving a no-trust motion in Parliament against the NDA government if the Congress supported it.
"Let Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi issue a statement (indicating support), they (DMK) are in alliance with them (Congress)... only if they (Congress) support, we will get the (requisite) numbers," he said.
On 31 March, both the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government moved Supreme Court on the issue of constitution and composition of the Cauvery Water Management Board in compliance with the 16 February verdict of the apex court on the vexed issue.
Bandh Call by Farmer Organisations
Farmer organisations and a traders’ body have issued a call for a bandh on 3 April over the Cauvery issue, and on the same day, the ruling AIADMK will hold a hunger strike across Tamil Nadu.
Barring Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, all other party leaders would participate, the AIADMK has said.
DMK Calls for a Shutdown on 5 April
MK Stalin, along with other opposition parties, has called for a statewide bandh on 5 April. This is to protests against the Centre's inaction towards constituting the Cauvery Management Board.
DMK has appealed to all the traders and transport unions to participate in this bandh. Stalin has also said that a "Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra," will be held following the bandh.
DMK has been blaming the Centre and the state government for “collective negligence”.
“We have repeatedly sent letters to PMO on Cauvery issue but no reply from them,” he added.
Protests to Continue till the Cauvery Management Board Is Constituted: Stalin
Opposition DMK and some other parties led a demonstration at Valluvar Kottam, Chennai on 1 April against Centre inaction towards setting up a Cauvery Management Board.
The DMK has announced protests in Valluvar Kottam in Chennai from 2 April to 4 April.
Slamming both the Central and the state government, MK Stalin has vowed to continue with protests till the Cauvery Management Board is constituted.
The protest, which was attended by a considerably large number of people, led to traffic congestion in the area for some time as the authorities were not informed about it beforehand.
Supreme Court's 16 February Verdict
In its February verdict, the top court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery river water.
It had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal Award.
The six-week period ended on 29 March.
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