Shutdown in Tamil Nadu in support of drought-hit farmers; DMK's Stalin arrested

Chennai: Normal life was affected in Tamil Nadu amid a shutdown called by opposition parties on Tuesday to press for immediate resolution of farmers` issues. DMK Working President MK Stalin and others were arrested.

Several DMK cadres, along with Stalin, protesting in Tiruvarur were detained by the police. DMK and other opposition parties were holding protest demonstrations in different parts of the state.

While shops, hotels downed their shutters across the state, government buses plied on the roads.

Offices of the central and state governments, public and private sector undertakings remained open.

Police were deployed in large numbers to prevent any untoward incidents in major places across the state.

Demanding immediate action on the part of the state and central governments in resolving the issues of Tamil Nadu`s farmers, opposition parties last week decided to observe the shutdown strike on April 25.

A meeting of opposition parties chaired by Stalin at the party`s headquarters here decided to call for a state-wide shutdown on Tuesday among the several resolutions adopted there.

The opposition parties also urged the Tamil Nadu government to waive off all farm loans and convene a special session of the assembly to discuss the farmers` issues.

The meeting also passed resolutions urging the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board, the Cauvery Regulatory Authority, declare the Cauvery delta region as Special Agriculture Zone, scrapping of the hydro-carbon project and others.

The shutdown strike was called by DMK, Congress, CPI-M, CPI, VCK and IUML. Trade unions affiliated to these parties also lent their support.

Trade bodies representing the movie industry, farmers, transport operators, traders association and others also extended their support to the shutdown.

Petrol bunks were open with operators wearing black badges showing their support to the strike.

According to reports reaching here, the majority of the hosiery units in Tirupur were shutdown.

In Tiruvarur, farmers were protesting on the railway tracks.

According to reports reaching here, shops in Puducherry were shutdown.