Cauvery river dispute: Protesters from Tamil Nadu headed for Delhi detained at MP station

NARMADAPURAM: As many as 65 people, mostly farmers from Tamil Nadu, travelling to Delhi to stage a protest over the Cauvery water dispute were deboarded from GT Express train at Narmadapuram station in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday and detained, an official said.

The detainees include farmer leader P Ayyakannu and 12 women.

"The train was searched for well over an hour. We had been asked via a message to take the protesters to a garden," the official said without elaborating.

National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers' Association's Tamil Nadu unit president P Ayyakannu, who was also detained, told reporters at Narmadapuram station that 100 tickets were purchased for travelling to Delhi from Tamil Nadu.

"He (Ayyakannu) is completely fine and taking his meal," Narmadapuram Superintendent of Police Guru Karan Singh told PTI at around 8.40 pm.

When asked how long the protesters would be detained, Singh said police the Association president and others would decide if they wanted to go back and how.

Singh said he cannot confirm the number of detainees.

Protesters had boarded the Delhi-bound 12615 GT Express on Saturday. They were made to alight from the train at Narmadapuram station following inputs, officials said.

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka see periodic protests over the decades-old Cauvery water dispute with farmers demanding a "fair share" of the river water.

Fresh demonstrations were held last September after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the CWRC directing the Karnataka government to release 5,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

Farmers from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had taken to the streets, demanding the resolution of the Cauvery water-sharing issue.