DMK files plea in HC

The DMK today filed a petition in the Madras High Court to restrain the state government from "preventing or interrupting" the visit of its working president M K Stalin anywhere in the state for inspecting water bodies where desilting work has been undertaken by party workers.
Justice M Duraiswamy, before whom the plea filed by DMK legal wing secretary R Girirajan came up, adjourned till August 4 to enable the government to file its counter affidavit.
According to the petitioner, people were agitating in various parts of the state demanding regular supply of water. Due to the prevailing dry weather, it was imperative to desilt water bodies ahead of the monsoon so that they could hold water for the rest of the year.

The petition said since the state government has not undertaken desilting of water bodies, Stalin, also the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, requested party cadres to help desilt water bodies like ponds and tanks.
Heeding his appeal, in many places across the state, ponds and lakes have been desilted by DMK cadres, it said.
Stalin was touring the state to inspect the desilted ponds and tanks, and to appreciate the efforts of party cadres.

With the campaign receiving "enormous" support from the people, the state government was adopting various methods to thwart the campaign, the petition alleged.
Stalin was detained by police on July 27 while he was on way to inspect the Kacharayanpalayam tank near Konganapuram.

Later, an order passed by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Salem, denying permission for holding a human chain protest demanding withdrawal of NEET was produced and used as justification for detaining him and preventing his visit, it alleged.
The human chain, which was to be formed at a different place and time, was in no way connected to his visit to Konganapuram, a suburban area in Salem district, the petition said.
The ruling party in collusion with the district administration and police acted to prevent Stalin's visit to the desilted tank, it alleged.
Any attempt to prevent Stalin's visit would be violative of the provisions of the Constitution, the petition added.