Showing black flag to PM won’t solve Cauvery issue: Dhinakaran

The black flag agitation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Tamil Nadu on Thursday, proposed by the DMK and other Opposition parties, will not bring the desired results on the Cauvery Management Board issue, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, MLA and founder of the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), said here on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a demonstration organised by the AMMK demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board in front of the District Panchayat in the city, Mr. Dhinakaran said that his party did not subscribe to the idea of holding black flag to the Prime Minister. Other methods could be adopted to show resentment against the Centre for its inaction.

In this connection, he argued that the DMK cadre have been showing black flags to the Governor and these agitations have not served any purpose.

He said that boycotting the IPL matches scheduled in Chennai will have a major impact and will attract the world attention. This will also force the Centre to render justice to Tamil Nadu.

‘Large following’

Mr. Dhinakaran said the DMK, along with its fraternal parties, has been organising agitations on the CMB issue under the banner of “all opposition parties”.

The PMK and the DMDK have been organising agitations on their own. The AMMK has a large following and there was no need for it to fight under the DMK banner.

Earlier, speaking at the demonstration, for which there was no police permission, Mr. Dhinakaran said that the Centre was delaying constituting the CMB only with an eye on the Karnataka Assembly elections. Denying the just rights of Tamil Nadu for improving the ruling BJP’s performance in the Karnataka elections was not at all justified.

The Centre should not adopt delaying tactics and should form the CMB and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority before the May 3 deadline set by the Supreme Court. The CMB and the regulatory authority alone will ensure the sharing of the Cauvery water by the States without any problem in future.

People are wondering whether any government is functioning in the State. The Edappadi Palaniswami regime should gather courage at least now and exert pressure on the Centre to secure the State’s rights.