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ShareCoimbatore: Eighteen Periyar Dravida Kazhakam activists were arrested here today when they tried to stage black flag demonstration against Union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh on Mullaperiyar dam issue.
Holding black flags, the activists, led by PDK general secretary, K Ramakrishnan, shouted slogans against the minister. However, all of them were arrested before the minister could pass through the venue, en route to Forest College in the city, police said.
The activists were protesting against the clearance given by the Union environment ministry to Kerala for conducting a survey for constructing a new dam in place of the existing 113-year-old reservoir over the inter-state Mullaperiyar river.
"It is okay if they show black flag.I missed the opportunity. I could have gone and met the PDK workers,' Jairam Ramesh later told reporters.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been at loggerheads over the dam for long.While Kerala, citing safety concerns, wants to construct a new dam in place of the existing one, Tamil Nadu is against it.
Tamil Nadu had moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the permission granted by the Centre to Kerala for conducting the survey for constructing a new dam but the plea was rejected.
