‘Is DMK going back toStone Age?’

Disapproving of the manner in which protests by opposition parties led by DMK were carried out in some parts of the State, senior AIADMK leader and Minister D. Jayakumar on Thursday took a dig at the DMK and wondered whether the party had returned to the Stone Age.

Talking to reporters here, Mr. Jayakumar said political parties could organise democratically accepted forms of protests such as fast or agitations in specified areas and through public meetings. “But, this is against the law... disturbing normalcy and disturbing the movement of ambulances.”

Pelting public properties such as buses with stones was not at all acceptable in a democracy, he said.

When asked about the government’s stand on the Cauvery issue, Mr. Jayakumar said the government has already filed a contempt plea in the Supreme Court.

Referring to the oral observations of judges in the apex court [who were hearing the State’s contempt plea], the Minister said there were “positive signals” on the issue and the hearing of the contempt plea was to come up for hearing on April 9. To a query on the government’s next action, he said he had confidence that the Cauvery Management Board would be constituted.