KANAKAPURA: Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday accused the State Government of misguiding people about the Mekedatu project and also conspiring to scuttle the Congress’ padayatra.
“As the main opposition party, it’s our responsibility to create awareness about the project among people. It’s an apolitical struggle in the interest of the state which we had planned two months back,” he said.
On Saturday, Siddaramaiah held a three-hour long Congress Legislature Party meeting at state Congress president D K Shivakumar’s residence in Kanakapura, in which all senior party leaders took an unanimous decision to go ahead with the rally come what may.
Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge’s participation in the meeting was a morale-booster for the legislators.Siddaramaiah said except for the environment clearance, there was no other legal hurdle for the implementation of the project.
Responding to Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol’s allegation that the earlier Congress government delayed preparing the detailed project report, Siddaramaiah listed the chronology of events during his regime.
“It’s our government that took the initiative in September 2013 and called for a global expression of interest in 2017 with the DPR. When the Central Water Commission raised certain objections, we addressed them, and the Congress-JD(S) alliance government revised the DPR in 2019.
There is no stay from the Green Tribunal or Supreme Court. There is no legal impediment and there is no way the Tamil Nadu government can stop the project,” he said.
Around 8 am on Sunday, Kharge and other senior leaders will inaugurate the padayatra at the Sangama in Mekedatu, said Shivakumar. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce has also extended its support, and actor Dr Shivarajkumar, son of Kannada matinee idol Dr Rajkumar, is also likely to take part. “I have extended an invitation and he is likely to attend,” said Shivakumar.