Cauvery cauldron: Political gain more important than state’s rights for DMK, flays Jayakumar

CHENNAI: Senior AIADMK leader D Jayakumar strongly condemned the DMK government for “failing to protect the rights of Tamil Nadu over Cauvery Water” and said that if this “lazy government” continues, the state would turn into a desert.

“For the DMK, its political gain is more important than the rights of the state.. If this government continues, it will turn the state into a desert,” he said and continued that the AIADMK regime had taken proactive measures and resorted to legal options to safeguard TN’s rights over Cauvery Water. By taking such measures, the AIADMK regime protected the livelihood of the farmers, he added.

Recalling the continuous protest by the AIADMK MPs over the issue, Jayakumar said that measures taken by the previous regime led to the constitution of Cauvery regulatory body and management authority. “Has the DMK leader taken steps to meet his alliance party leaders over the issue,” he questioned.

Don’t remain mute spectator, VCK chief urges Centre

Meanwhile, VCK leader and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan demanded the Centre to immediately intervene in the inter-state water dispute over Cauvery river instead of remaining as a mute spectator.

“The Union government has a role to play in the Cauvery issue. As usual, it should not remain a mute spectator and assume that the Tamil Nadu government will handle the issue,” Thirumavalavan told reporters in Ariyalur district, referring to Karnataka government’s decision against the recommendation of CWRC to release 1 thousand million cubic (tmc) of water daily from June 12 to the end of this month to TN.

“The intervention of the Union government is warranted at this juncture when the Karnataka government is unwilling to comply with the recommendation to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee,” he said and added that it should direct the Karnataka government to implement the regulatory body’s recommendation at the earliest.

“I am flagging the issue on behalf of INDIA bloc,” he said and continued that the Karnataka government’s approach towards the issue was “shocking”.