The call for a dawn-to-dusk shutdown of commercial establishments to demand Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery riverwater, given by the traders’ associations and backed by the opposition parties, received an overwhelming response on Friday.
While State transport corporations, including the Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai, did not suspend operations, mobility of people was limited as many avoided long-distance trips.
The day passed off without major untoward incidents though there was tension in parts of Mannargudi in Thanjavur district following the news of the death of Naam Tamizhar Katchi worker Vignesh, who had attempted self-immolation at a rally in Chennai on Thursday.
Thousands of political and agricultural activists, including Leader of the Opposition and DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin, courted arrest after attempting to picket trains or block roads in various parts of the State, condemning the recent violence unleashed on a section of Tamils in Karnataka.
