Tamil Nadu leaders for special meet over SC verdict

CHENNAI: With legal battle over Cauvery concluding with a Supreme Court judgment to form the Cauvery Management Board, political leaders on Thursday asked the state government to move to the next step of adding political muscle to the verdict by convening a special session of Tamil Nadu Assembly or an all all-party meeting.

Citing Karnataka’s initiative of convening their Assembly to subvert the SC verdict, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi sought a similar measures in Tamil Nadu. He referred to the series of developments and political activities in Karnataka against the judgment and asked, “Will the Supreme Court and Union government compare the activities in both the states? Won’t they think that Tamil Nadu government is asleep?”

He said Tamil Nadu government should convene the House to discuss and formulate its strategy and take urgent steps, he said. The DMK leader said Karnataka government had convened an all-party meeting and later a Cabinet meeting. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda had opposed the SC judgment and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to form the CMB. Union minister Sadananda Gowda had met Union water resources minister Uma Bharathi with the demand that CMB should not be constituted claiming that Cauvery belonged to Karnataka. But, Tamil Nadu government had not convened even a cabinet meeting, he added.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss said the Centre should teach a fitting lesson to Karnataka for its bid to precipitate a constitutional crisis through a Assembly resolution against SC judgment. Disputing the Karnataka government’s claim of having no water in the dams, the PMK leader said it is a lie, since 5,846 cusecs of water is being discharged from the dams against an inflow of 10,460 cusecs.

“If there is no water, for what purpose the water is being released?” he asked and said the parties in Karnataka just wanted to cash in by generating a hatred against Tamils. MDMK general secretary Vaiko wanted a joint delegation of AIADMK and DMK to meet the Prime Minister. The united voice of the two parties, besides other parties would send shock waves in the Delhi’s power centre, he said.

Citing the DMK’s act of supporting the Assembly resolution on Siruvani dam, Vaiko wanted an all-party meeting and said the DMK and other parties would accept a resolution on taking on Karnataka government’s moves, formation of CMB and checking the dam safety bill. TMC leader G.K. Vasan too sought an all-party meeting and a delegation to meet the Prime Minister.