Karnataka government should protect Tamils: Pon Radhakrishnan

Chennai: The Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan expressed “shock” over the attack on a Tamil youth in neighbouring Karnataka and said “it was disturbing.”

“It is shocking. The news that the Tamils are being attacked is disturbing. It is the duty of the state government to protect all subjects equally,” the minister said reacting to the attack of the Tamil youth allegedly by a group of Kannadigas in Bengaluru for his Facebook comments on Friday’s pro-Kannada outfits’ bandh in Karnataka opposing release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Time and again he had been insisting that the Karnataka government should protect the linguistic minorities in the state and should not allow the opposition to spill to the streets.

“At least from now onwards the Karnataka government should be cautious and prevent such incidents,” Mr Radhakrishnan said. The Karnataka government’s stand on the Cauvery issue, he said, is causing concern.

“There is no need for Karnataka to be so harsh with Tamil Nadu over releasing our due share of water. They have to give water that is due to us by obeying the Supreme Court verdict,” Mr Radhakrishnan said and maintained that TN’s demand was just.