The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, which has as many as 50 MPs in Parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha taken together), has decided to stall the proceedings in Parliament till the BJP-led Centre comes out with an announcement regarding setting up the Cauvery Management Board.

For the second successive day, AIADMK MPs stalled the proceedings in Parliament and staged a protest within the Parliament complex. They were joined by DMK and Communist MPs in a rare show of unity outside Tamil Nadu. Later, AIADMK MPs spoke to newspersons. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Thambithurai, who was heading the protest, explained the reasons behind the protest.

“We have been trying to pressurize the Centre to come out with an announcement to set up the Cauvery Management Board and won’t allow the Houses (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) to conduct business till the Board is set up.

“There is nothing wrong for opposition parties to join us in this protest as it is an emotion-filled protest for the people’s welfare. This emotion has brought the AIADMK and the DMK MPs together. Cauvery Management Board ought to be set up at once in line with the Supreme Court’s direction; this is the AIADMK’s demand,” he said.

In the meantime, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were disrupted for the second consecutive day as AIADMK MPs kept raising slogans.