Cauvery Issue: CSK matches likely to be shifted to new venue

Amid rising tensions in Chennai over the Cauvery Management Board, sources have suggested that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 matches which are scheduled to be held in Chennai will be shifted to a new venue.

The matches that will be played in Chennai were mainly in focus of the Chennai Super Kings franchise of the league.

Pro-Tamil groups on Tuesday carries out massive anti-IPL protests in the state with many activists, including film directors. Many out of those were detained by the police.

The activists alleged that the IPL matches were being organised to divert the attention of the government from the raging Cauvery Management Board issue. Pro-Tamil groups like the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) and a forum of Tamil film directors had given a boycott call to the games.

On Tuesday, hundreds of protestors took to the MA Chidambaram Stadium, blocking roads at the Anna Salai and TTK Salai, to protest for boycotting of the match played between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Some protestors even burned yellow jerseys, the attire of the Chennai Super Kings team.

Many activists and film makers were taken into police custody, while in other places, there were reports of clashes between the agitators and the police.

Also Read| Cauvery row: Massive anti-IPL protests in Chennai; film directors among scores detained

Meanwhile, the stadium was beefed up with 4,000 police personnel guarding the stadium venue. Despite of the beefed up security, Naam Tamilar Katchi workers were detained for jurling footwear on to the cricket ground and players to stop the match from being played.

The whole Cauvery issue started when the Supreme Court on February 16 had raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.

It was passing orders on appeals filed by Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala against the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s final order of 2007 apportioning quantum of water from the river among its riparian states.