On Sunday, Rajinikanth came out in support of protesters demanding a ban on Indian Premier League matches in Chennai. Rajinikanth said it was embarrassing to hold cricket matches at a time like this.
He said it was 'embarrassing to hold IPL now'.
He said the Chennai team ought to fight for the people. He said: "If not then at least acknowledge the fight of the people of Tamil Nadu. Our team should wear a black band. Those who go for the match can also wear a black band." A host of actors came together to voice their support including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vikram, Suriya and Vijay.
Earlier, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam leader T T V Dhinakaran appealed to cricket lovers to shun IPL matches scheduled to be held here to "strengthen the voice of farmers" seeking setting up of the Cauvery Management Board.
"I appeal to cricket lovers to boycott the IPL matches to strengthen the voice of farmers in the protest to retrieve rights on Cauvery (river water)," Dhinakaran said in a tweet.
Seven IPL matches are scheduled to be held here between April 10 and May 20.
He said the IPL matches were to be held at a time when people were holding protests every day to partake in the grief of farmers.
The entire state has risen against the alleged "injustice perpetrated on us by the state and central governments on the Cauvery (issue), the lifeline of Tamil Nadu," he said in his Twitter handle.
Dhinakaran, a rival leader for the welfare legacy of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran and late J Jayalalithaa, is continuing his political fight against the ruling AIADMK regime, led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Saturday discussed with his cabinet colleagues the next legal steps over Tamil Nadu's plea in the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the Centre for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board within the stipulated period of six weeks.
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, fisheries and law ministers D Jayakumar and C Ve Shanmugam respectively, and advocates representing the state in the court, including counsel Shekhar Naphade, attended the meeting, the government said.
Tamil Nadu moved the contempt plea in the apex court on March 31, seeking action against the Centre for allegedly failing to form the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks as ordered by the court on February 16.
In the plea, Tamil Nadu has said the central government was bound to give effect to the judgement by framing a scheme top put in place the CMB and the CWRC within six weeks.
On February 16, the Supreme Court raised the 270 tomcat share of Carvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tomcat and reduced Tamil Nadu's share, while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tomcat groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a "higher pedestal".
With the apex court's verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry would be annually entitled to 404.25 tmcft, 284.75 tmcft, 30 tmcft and 7 tmcft of Cauvery water respectively out of the total of 740 tmcft.
The court had granted six weeks time to the Center to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Carvery dispute, which modified the CWT award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground.
It had said its verdict on Cauvery water allocation will continue for the next 15 years.