BJP hopeful of Centre ensuring Tamil Nadu rights on Cauvery

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP appears to be more belligerent in its stand on the Cauvery issue and contends that Cauvery river water does not belong to Karnataka alone. The party here hopes that the Narendra Modi government will ensure Tamil Nadu's rights on sharing the water.

Though Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan was quick to condemn the attacks on the Kannada-speaking people in TN, he said the onus on protecting the linguistic minorities in the state was on the Chief Minister. It is the responsibility of the Karnataka Government to protect the linguistic minorities and ensure their lives and properties were not under threat.

Taking exception to the neighbouring Karna-taka’s “adamant stand” TN BJP president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan remarked that “Cauvery water does not belong to Karnataka alone… Attack on the Tamils in Bengaluru, leading to the closure of IT firms, should be deemed as an assault on development  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should understand that Tamils’ role in the development of Bengaluru cannot be underestimated.

Attacking Tamils amounts to destroying Bengaluru's growth. Hence, Mr Siddaramaiah should immediately rein in the perpetrators of violence.”