KRISHNAGIRI: Tamil Nadu will not lose its right to its share of Cauvery water from Karnataka, said CPI state secretary M Veerapandian at Hosur on Tuesday. The CPI and Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam jointly conducted a march from Hosur to Mekedatu in Karnataka to prevent the proposed dam construction project across Cauvery by Karnataka government. The march went on for only a few 100 metres from the Hosur bus stand before it was stopped by police.
During the event Veerapandian told reporters,"TN will not lose its right to its share of Cauvery water from Karnataka. We know that Bengaluru is also facing water scarcity, but TN is also facing the same situation. Water scarcity is not a problem only for delta farmers, but for the entire state. Therefore, Karnataka should also know about necessity of water for TN. People of TN and Karnataka have been part of this shared tradition for many years and both states respect each other. Thus the construction of a dam across the Cauvery in Mekedatu should not be carried out as it questions this unity. There should not be any politics in this matter."
"Already TN Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the issue, but the PM is acting as a mute spectator. He should intervene," he added.
Veerapandian further pointed that, "Communist parties have the capacity to contest alone in local body or Assembly elections, but the decision will be taken only based on the situation close to election period. We have also formed a Left Coordination Committee, comprising CPI, CPM and CPI(ML), which is not a panel formed for the sake of elections, but for the welfare of the people and against out ideological enemies — the BJP and RSS."
He stressed that the prevailing 'horse-trading' situation in the TVK-led state government is a danger for democracy and the communists are opposing and condemning such issues.
Thalli MLA and Krishnagiri CPI district secretary T Ramachandran and about 900 cadre took part in the march.
Over 150 police personnel led by DIG of Salem Range (in-charge) P Saminathan, Krishnagiri SP G S Anitha provided protection for the event.