New Delhi, Apr 1 (NIE): In light of the Centre failing to constitute a Cauvery Water Management Board within the six-week deadline given by the Supreme Court, which ended on Thursday, the DMK announced a shutdown across Tamil Nadu on April 5. Addressing the media after chairing an all-party meeting on Sunday, DMK working president M K Stalin also said the party cadres would show black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his scheduled visit to Chennai on April 11.

Seeking help from the ruling AIADMK, which moved the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Centre, Stalin said the DMK would also take out a Cauvery rights retrieval walk from the delta area. Stalin, however, did not elaborate on his plans and on what scale he was planning the march. “We seek support from ruling AIADMK. We will show black flags to PM & Union Minister when they visit the state. Will also take out Cauvery rights retrieval walk from the delta area,” Stalin said.
The DMK working president was detained by police after he addressed members of the press.

Last week, a DMK leader said the party might resort to the Jallikattu-model protest organised at Marina Beach last year, which brought the city to a standstill.

Stalin’s remarks come on the back of the Tamil Nadu government seeking contempt action against the Centre for “willful disobedience” in carrying out the mandate of the Supreme Court on constituting the Cauvery Management Board. On the same day, the Centre moved the Supreme Court, seeking a three-month extension to implement the court’s February 16 order on the division of the Cauvery river waters.

In its judgment on February 16, the Supreme Court had raised the Cauvery water share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s quota. The court had compensated Tamil Nadu by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the Cauvery basin.

Pointing out that the Karnataka Assembly elections were coming, the Centre said that Cauvery being an “emotive” issue in the state, any move at this point to constitute a scheme under Section 6A of the Inter State River Water Disputes Act 1936 and notify it might “vitiate election process and cause serious law and order problems”.