Tension prevailed here on Saturday when a large number of workers of the Communist Party of India (CPI) attempted to march towards Mysuru from Hosur to lay siege to the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) dam to press their demand for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).
The police stopped them on the outskirts of Hosur.
The march was also to condemn the Centre for its failure to constitute the CMB as per the direction of the Supreme Court and the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government for its refusal to release water to Tamil Nadu.
The call for the march was given by the Krishnagiri district unit of the CPI.
CPI cadre, along with members of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, the AITUC, and other wings of the party, gathered near the old municipal office in Hosur town on Saturday morning. Led by T. Ramachandran, former MLA and secretary of the Krishnagiri district unit of the party, they marched towards Attibelle, the inter-State border, raising slogans against the Centre and demanding immediate steps for the constitution of the CMB.
A strong posse of policemen intercepted them on the Hosur-Bengaluru National Highway on the outskirts of Hosur town, and prevented them from proceeding further. This led to a wordy altercation between the police personnel and the CPI cadre, who attempted to break the police cordon and proceed.
Protesting against the police action, a section of the party men squatted on the National Highway. Amidst high drama, the police arrested 350 people, including 65 women, and detained them at a marriage hall near the Hosur Railway Station.
S. Gunasekaran, State president of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, V. Duraimanikkam, its State general secretary, M. Lagumiah, State vice- president, and M. K. Mathaiyan, Krishnagiri district secretary of the AITUC, who earlier spoke highlighting the demands, were among those taken into preventive custody, police sources said.
Due to the agitation, traffic on the Hosur-Bengaluru NH was affected for about an hour and vehicles waited in long queues on both sides of the road.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements at Attibelle, Salem railway station, bus station and on the road leading to the inter-State border throughout the day to maintain law and order.
