The police on Thursday took S. Mugilan, coordinator, Tamil Nadu Environmental Protection Movement, and a few others into preventive custody for planning to stage a black flag demonstration against Home Minister Amit Shah during his election visit to Karur.
The police also detained Gunasekaran, general secretary of Samaaniya Makkal Katchi, hours before the arrival of the Mr. Shah to campaign in support of the Aravakurichi BJP candidate, K. Annamalai.
The police, who visited the house of Mr. Gunasekaran, at Vellalapatti near here, took him into preventive custody. He raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Shah for “indirectly favouring” the BJP government in Karnataka to construct a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu. Mr. Gunasekaran had earlier declared that he and his party men would show black flags to Mr. Shah for his failing to stop the attempt of the Yediyurappa government to construct the dam, which was against the interests of Tamil Nadu.
Similarly, Christina Samy of Swaraj India was also taken into preventive custody for planning to wave black flag against Mr. Shah.
Mr. Mugilan claimed that the Central government had been supporting the Karnataka government to construct the dam at Mekedatu. It had allocated a substantial amount in the State budget for the construction. The Centre had done nothing to protect the interests of lakhs of farmers in Tamil Nadu, he alleged.
