The Cauvery Protection Movement, coordinated by the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko, has planned a series of demonstrations to gherao Central government establishments in a multi-phase protest to prevent Karnataka from constructing reservoirs at Mekedatu and to force scrapping of methane extraction project in delta districts.
At the end of the day-long consultative committee meet of the movement here on Tuesday, Mr. Vaiko announced that condemning the Central government over the issues, the body would gherao Central government establishments in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Karur, Namakkal, Erode, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts on February 18. The Cauvery river passes through all these districts.
Next, on March 11 the same mode of agitation would be launched in Chennai to condemn the Centre and press for the twin demands, Mr. Vaiko said. If the Centre did not stop favouring Karnataka over Mekedatu and vested interests over the methane project, the Cauvery Protection Movement would again resort to gherao of Central Government offices in the 14 districts and in Chennai on March 23, the martyrdom anniversary of Tyagi Bhagat Singh in the third phase of the struggle, he said.
Still if the Centre did not see reason and reverse its policies over the Mekedatu and methane projects issues, the movement would be forced to resort to gherao of all Central government offices across Tamil Nadu and Karaikal region of Puducherry Union Territory to highlight people's anger, Mr. Vaiko said.
A total of 215 organisations, including political parties such as the DMK, MDMK, Congress, Tamil Maanila Congress, participated in the Tuesday's consultative meet, he added.
