Dam row: DMDK to stage black flag protest against PM

Thursday, December 22, 2011: DMDK today said it would stage a black flag protest against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on December 26 during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu from Sunday,alleging that the Centre was “biased” against the state on a host of issues including Mullaperiyar dam.
The Centre had not acted in Tamil Nadu’s favour on the Mullaperiyar dam issue, though a Supreme Court verdict was in the state’s favour,DMDK founder and Opposition Leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Vijayakant said. On Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, he said people near the KNPP site have been protesting against it for months.
Meanwhile, MDMK leader Vaiko today charged UPA government with “dancing to the tunes of Kerala,” on dam issue and urged the Prime Minister to revoke a decision to appoint an experts team in relation to the reservoir.
Centre’s decision to set up an experts committee by National Disaster Management Authority “clearly demonstrates the fact that Government is dancing to the tunes of Kerala Government,” Vaiko said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
This was a ‘calculated attempt’ as desired by the Kerala Government and politicians to present a fait accompli to the Supreme Court and the Empowered Committee constituted by it, Vaiko alleged. He also supported Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s stand in demanding that the Centre withdraw the move to set up an NDMA team, describing it as a ‘right’ request.