Opposition parties continue agitation

Two MLAs lead the protest in Puducherry, block passenger train

Stopped in its tracks: Cadres of various Opposition parties stopping the Puducherry-Tirupati passenger train in Puducherry on Wednesday as part of the protest against the Union and State governments over the Cauvery issue.

Cadres of the DMK, the Congress, the VCK and the Left on Wednesday resorted to a rail roko at the Puducherry Railway Station to register their strong protest against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board as directed by the Supreme Court.

As many as 534 persons, including DMK MLA R. Siva, Congress MLA K. Lakshminarayanan, Youth congress secretary Ilayaraja and leaders of VCK, CPI and CPI (M) were arrested. The protesters, led by Mr. Siva and Mr. Lakshminarayanan, marched into the station and blocked the Puducherry-Tirupati passenger train.

Block tracks

They squatted on the tracks and shouted slogans against the Centre for its defiant stand on the Cauvery water issue and for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board.

Meanwhile, about 50 students of the Government Law College courted arrest while staging a rail roko at the station. The students squatted in front of the Puducherry-Villupuram passenger train and raised slogans against the Centre.