This Article is From Sep 09, 2012

1,000 arrested over River Bhavani dam issue

Coimbatore: MDMK MP Ganeshamurthy and CPI MLA M Arumugam were arrested today along with 1000 workers of different parties when they tried to cross to Kerala to stage a demonstration to protest that Government's move to build a dam across Bhavani River in Chittoor.

The protestors, barring those from Congress, BJP and AIADMK contended that the move would deprive farmers of Coimbatore, Erode and Tirupur districts of water for irrigation.

As permission was denied for the fast, they decided to stage a demonstration at Agali in Kerala and nearly 1,500 party workers assembled in Anaikatty on Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, police said.

All of them were arrested as they attempted to cross over to Kerala and reached the barricade put up on the border.

About 300 police personnel from Tamil Nadu and 200 from Kerala had been deployed on either side of the border to prevent any eventualities.

Former DMK minister Pongalur N Palanisamy, Ganeshamurthy, Arumugam, Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhakam general secretary, K Ramkrishnan and other party and farmers' association leaders addressed the gathering.

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