Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami and deputy chief-minister O. Panneerselvam, who are also the deputy convener and convener (respectively) of the ruling AIADMK, attended the State-wide fast protest organized by the party to protest against the Centre’s negligence in setting up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) to oversee Cauvery river water sharing arrangement between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

AIADMK MPs have been stalling Parliament proceedings for the past 19 days demanding a concrete reply from the BJP-led Centre on its apparent reluctance in setting up the CMB.  Tension rose high in Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court’s 6-week deadline to the Centre to set up the Board expired last Thursday (29th March); political parties have been indulging in widespread protests across the State.

As announced by the AIADMK earlier, party workers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry organized fast protest yesterday across the two States.  Party had already stated that protests would be held at all the 32 District Headquarters in Tamil Nadu as well as in Puducherry and even released a list comprising names of Ministers/functionaries and MLAs and other leaders who would be heading the protests in the Districts.

Names of EPS and OPS were missing in the list and it was thought that they might not join the protest.  However, the chief-minister visited the AIADMK’s fast protest venue of Chepauk in Chennai at 08:00 in the morning and sat among the protesters on stage comprising Ministers Jayakumar and Gokula Indira.  Within a few minutes, OPS too joined EPS on stage, thus providing the much-needed boost to the party cadres.

Participation of the CM and the deputy CM is seen as an important event by political observers.  Later, at 05:30 p.m., the chief-minister declared the protest closed by taking fruit juice and offering the same to all protesters.