ERODE: Tamil Nadu faces water-sharing problems only when the Congress is in power in Karnataka, said BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, adding that Congress ministers of Tamil Nadu should urge their counterparts in the neighbouring state to release the Cauvery water due to the state.
Nagenthran was speaking after paying respects to freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai on his memorial day in Erode on Monday. Marking the occasion, tributes were paid to his statue at the memorial hall in Odanilai on behalf of the state government, as well as by various political parties, including the BJP, DMK, AIADMK, NTK, and KMDK, and other outfits.
Addressing reporters later, Nagenthran said, “The expected inflow of water into the Cauvery River has not taken place this Aadi Perukku. The Karnataka government certainly cannot build a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu.
As per the Supreme Court’s verdict, the Cauvery Water Management Authority holds full authority, and it will not grant permission for the project. Karnataka does not respect the authority’s orders. We receive only the surplus water when there is good rainfall. They do not release water on their own.”
“Such a situation did not exist when the BJP government was in power in Karnataka. Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay must speak about this. Congress ministers in his cabinet must urge the Karnataka government to release the water. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and TNCC president Manickam Tagore should urge the Karnataka government regarding this matter,” he added. He also mentioned that Karnataka has released water only because it is currently unable to store water.
Minister K A Sengottaiyan, who also paid respects to Chinnamalai, told reporters, “Under the leadership of CM C Joseph Vijay, TN stands tall as a pioneering state. The kind of governance that even the central government admires and praises is taking place in Tamil Nadu. Due to the clean governance, nature has cooperated with us and the Cauvery River has flooded and water is flowing into the Mettur Dam.”
Other ministers including M Vijayabaskar, C Vijayalakshmi, S Kamali and D Lokesh Tamilselvan, along with MLAs from Erode and Tiruppur districts, paid their respects to Chinnamalai on behalf of the state government. Erode Collector S Kandasamy and others were present. On the occasion, legal heirs were honoured and welfare assistance was provided to 80 beneficiaries.