Chennai, Aug 3:
Udhayanidhi Stalin on Sunday strongly condemned the Maharashtra Police for detaining Tamil Nadu farmers in Nagpur while they were travelling to New Delhi to stage a protest against the proposed Mekedatu dam.
In a statement, Udhayanidhi said the farmers were undertaking a democratic protest against what they see as a one-sided stand of the Union government favouring Karnataka on the Mekedatu issue. He criticised the authorities for allegedly forcing the farmers to deboard the train midway and directing them to return to Tamil Nadu.
āStrongly condemn the Maharashtra Police for detaining Tamil Nadu farmers in Nagpur while they were on their way to Delhi to protest against the Mekedatu dam. Instead of allowing a peaceful, democratic protest, they were forced off the train midway and asked to return,ā he said.
He urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to intervene immediately to secure the release of the detained farmers and to seek an explanation from the Maharashtra government. He also called on the Union government to permit the farmers to carry out their protest in Delhi without obstruction.
āThe right to peaceful protest cannot be denied,ā Udhayanidhi asserted, adding that democratic voices must be respected.
The incident has sparked political reactions in Tamil Nadu, with leaders across parties reiterating concerns over the Mekedatu project and its potential impact on the stateās water share in the Cauvery basin.