PUDUCHERRY: Welcoming the Centre’s move of notifying Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday thanked the Supreme Court for bestowing full powers on CWMA. Now, Karaikal farmers would get due share of Cauvery water, he added.
On Rajinikanth’s comments, he said Rajini should withdraw his remarks that it was anti-social elements who created trouble during the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi which resulted in the death of 13 people. Narayanasamy added that the actor’s comment was not acceptable as it hurt the sentiments of people.
He told reporters here that it was not known on what evidence Rajinikanth had said so and the actor had belittled the 100-day agitation of the people. If Rajini got any evidence in this regard, he should bring it to the public forum. It appears that he was being puppeteered from behind, said Narayanasamy.
He said the BJP had come to power in 2014 as the votes for secular forces in the Country got split, and expressed confidence that the forces led by Congress would capture power from BJP in 2019. The by-elections results had shown a set back to the BJP, whose alliance partners like the Shiv Sena and the Telugu Desam Party started to move away from it.
He charged the Centre with mishandling the rise in prices of petrol and diesel and said that without reducing the excise duty on fuel, the Centre was insisting the States to reduce sales tax.