Chennai, April 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Thursday amid growing political turmoil over the Cauvery water issue and black flag protests by Opposition parties.
Modi, who arrived by a special aircraft from New Delhi, was received at the airport by Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Pon Radhakrishnan, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister E. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan.
After a brief reception, he left for Mamallapuram, about 55 km from here, from where he would reach the temple town of Tiruvidanthai to formally inaugurate the Defence Expo-2018, which began here on Wednesday.
Later, he would unveil the diamond jubilee plaque at the Adyar Cancer Institute.
Earlier, a press conference was planned with the Prime Minister at the IIT-Madras, adjacent to the Cancer Institute, but it failed to materialise.
The police have made tight security arrangements in view of the visit.
Meanwhile, opposition parties, including the DMK, various fringe outfits and Tamil organisations greeted the Prime Minister with black flag protests to condemn the Centre for its failure to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) as directed by the Supreme Court.
The six-week deadline set by the Apex Court ended on March 29 and the Centre, keeping the next month's Assembly elections in Karnataka in mind, filed a clarification plea in the Court at the last minute and sought three months time to implement its order, by which time the polling process in the neighbouring state would have been concluded.
DMK leader M.K. Stalin, along with his party cadres, protested in Sirkazhi, Nagapattinam district, by wearing black shirts.
The DMK has appealed to the people to hoist black flags atop their houses and stage demonstrations against the Prime Minister.
Activists of fringe parties including the Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) led by T. Velmurugan, Tamil Nationalist Movement headed by P. Nedumaran also staged demonstration in front of the Alandur Metro station in Chennai.
MLAs Tamimum Ansari and Thaniarasi along with SDPI members were arrested in Tirisoolam near the airport.
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Chinese man rejects rs 2 crore offer, lives in house surrounded by highway
Jinxi, China: A homeowner in Jinxi, a town southwest of Shanghai, has become the centre of attention after refusing to vacate his house for a motorway project. Workers built the highway around the property after he declined the government's compensation offer, transforming the house into a peculiar landmark.
Huang Ping, the owner of the two-storey house, was offered 1.6 million yuan (approximately Rs 1.9 crore) along with two properties, later increased to three. However, dissatisfied with the deal, he chose to stay. With the highway set to open in spring, Huang now lives at its centre, requiring passage through a large pipe to access the home.
Although Huang regrets the decision, calling it "a big bet" he lost, the house has become a local attraction. Residents and visitors frequently stop by to take pictures of the unusual setup.
To escape the noise and dust from construction, Huang and his grandson spend their days in the town centre, returning home only after work hours. There are concerns that the constant noise from the operational motorway will make peaceful living impossible.
The stubborn old Chinese man who refused to sell his house for a government project now regrets his decision.
— Ibra ❄️ (@IbraHasan_) January 25, 2025
Huang Ping, from Hunan province, hoped for more money but lost everything. The government built a road around his house, leaving it in the middle of a busy street. Now,… pic.twitter.com/it0rYe2fhd
