Maharashtra Police Detain TN Farmers Headed to Delhi for Mekedatu Protest; Udhayanidhi Condemns Action

Tamil Nadu farmers travelling to New Delhi to stage a protest against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project were forced to deboard their train and turn back after being detained by Maharashtra Police in Nagpur on August 3.

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin strongly condemned the Maharashtra Police action, and urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to intervene immediately to secure the release of the detained farmers.

Udhayanidhi also called on the Union government to allow the farmers to carry out their protest in Delhi without obstruction, describing their action as a democratic protest against what he called a one-sided Central stance favouring Karnataka on the Mekedatu issue.

The farmers have argued that a reservoir at Mekedatu, built without Tamil Nadu's consent, would threaten the state's share of Cauvery water and put Delta agriculture at risk.