Mekedatu can split TN from India: Vaiko

Tirunelveli: MDMK general secretary known for his seditious speeches against Indian integration on the Sri Lankan Tamil issues and on projects that he despised earlier, warned on Saturday that Tamil Nadu would go separate if the Central government permitted construction of Karnataka's  Mekedatu dam across river Cauvery, and also passed the Dam Safety Bill 2018.

Addressing party functionaries at Pudukottai near here, Vaiko came down heavily upon the Centre for taking sides with Karnataka in the Mekedatu dam issue, and posed a question to the Centre on the need of Tamil Nadu to be a part of India, if its welfare is not taken care of.

Stating that around 25 lakh acres of farm land in Tamil Nadu would be deprived of water for irrigation, and around five crore people would face acute drinking water shortage if Karnataka constructed the Mekedatu dam, Vaiko too added that the Dam Safety Bill 2018, would add to the problem.

"If the Dam safety bill is implemented, Tamil Nadu would be the worst affected in the country," warned Vaiko. He also said that the bill, if accepted, would make the Inter-state Water Dispute Act meaningless, and water tribunals would lose the meaning of their existence.

"We will not get water from Kerala and Karnataka as the Dam Safety Bill will empower them to build more dams to divert river water," complained Vaiko, who warned that Tamil Nadu would be disintegrated from India in the next 50 years.

In a reference to the Sterlite issue, Vaiko poured out his anguish against the chairperson of the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, for not allowing him to comment, while the counsel for Vedata, Arima Sundaram, continued with his argument in the Sterlite case, on Friday.

"The principal bench of the NGT has not yet accepted my impleadment petition in the case, and if my petition is not accepted in the next hearing of the case on Monday (Dec. 10), I will approach the Supreme Court against the NGT and Sterlite," warned Vaiko.

There are ample chances for the tribunal verdict to go in favour of the copper smelter plant. Accusing the Tamil Nadu government for favouring the company earlier, Vaiko said, at least now, it had corrected its stance.

"But we will not give up our fight against the plant," warned Vaiko, who however promised that he or his party cadre would never resort to violent methods of protest.