Chennai: The Madras High Court on Saturday allowed farmer leader P Ayyakannu to stage a peaceful protest at the Marina Beach in Chennai for a day instead of his earlier demand of 90 days, over the Cauvery Management Board issue.
The court's order comes a day after the Centre filed a plea with the Supreme Court seeking an extension of two weeks to draft a scheme for the formation of the Cauvery board. However, reacting to the verdict, Ayyakannu expressed disappointment that the High Court had granted only one-day's permission for the protest. During the course of the hearing, the farmer leader had agreed to limit the protest to 30 days.
Following the high court's order, the Tamil Nadu Police have issued prohibitory orders to prevent people from gathering in large numbers at the beach to stage protests.
Ayyakannu, the president of the Desiya Thenindiya Nadhigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam, had staged an agitation inside a Christian cemetery in Chennai on April 22 and later at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding the release of Cauvery water.
Meanwhile, DMK along with its allies and like-minded parties, on Monday formed a human chain at all district headquarters to pressurise the Central government to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority (CWRC).
Party chief MK Stalin participated in the protest in Pudukottai district, around 400 km from Chennai.
Other leaders and cadres of DMK, its allies and like-minded parties participated in the human chain protest in other districts.
On April 16, DMK and other parties decided to hold human chain protest statewide on Monday and also seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the problems faced by the farmers and urge him to set up the CMB.
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