CM, Deputy term Cauvery crisis as DMK’s legacy

With both the Chief Minister and his Deputy training their guns at the opposition DMK instead of the Centre on Tuesday’s fast, the Chief Minister who is also the joint co-ordinator of the AIADMK took strong exception to Leader of Opposition MK Stalin’s allegations that the AIADMK had resorted to a ‘deceptive drama’ and alleged that the only the DMK acted as the hero of such dramas in the past

“When the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal gave its verdict in 2007, the DMK which was in power at both the state and Centre did not take steps even to notify the tribunal order in the gazette. Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa filed a petition in the Supreme Court and obtained a court order directing the Centre to publish the notification in the gazette. Despite being in power both at the Centre and state, the DMK did not take steps to notify the award of the tribunal and betrayed the people,” the Chief Minister charged. 

Denying charges that his party had not exerted pressure on the Centre for the formation of the CMB, he said the party MPs had disrupted the Parliament proceedings in both the Houses for 19 days continuously. The state government had to wait till March 29 to take legal action since the Supreme Court had given six weeks for the implementation of the verdict. 

He also said that the DMK government in 1974 failed to renew the 1924 Cauvery agreement which resulted in the prolonged legal battle. He also asserted that the Supreme Court’s final verdict had only modified the quantum of water share to Tamil Nadu by 14.75 tmc of water but upheld the other parts of the tribunal judgment. 

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam addressing the gathering said the AIADMK wanted to work together with the Opposition parties, but Stalin had diverted the issue for political gains. He asserted that the AIADMK government would follow in the path shown by Jayalalithaa and party founder MGR in fighting for Cauvery rights and would not rest till the Cauvery Management Board is formed. 

All the ministers, including P Thangamani and SP Velumani staged hunger strike in their native districts and vowed to win Cauvery rights for the state.