CHENNAI: PMK, an estranged ally of the BJP, on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre for supporting Karnataka in its bid to construct two dams across Cauvery at Megedatu. Emphasizing that union ministers Ananth Kumar, Sadananda Gowda, Prakash Javdekar and Nirmala Seetharaman participated in a meeting to discuss measures for building the dams, party founder Ramadoss demanded their dismissal from the cabinet.
Calling on the Tamil Nadu State government to lead an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, he pointedly asked if it was proper for union ministers, who had taken an oath under the Constitution, to support one state against the other.
Taking strong exceptions to the presence of the union law minister Sadananda Gowda- who hails from Karanataka - in the meeting, he questioned as to how Tamil Nadu could secure justice in its appeal against the construction of the dams, if the law minister himself took sides.
Alluding to speculations that Nirmala Seetharaman would be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, the PMK leader described her participation in the meeting as amounting to betrayal of Tamil Nadu. Ramadoss also questioned the propriety of the union environment minister Prakash Javedkar taking part in the meeting, especially when the project required the nod of his ministry.
Ramadoss alleged that the meeting was convened under the pretext of meeting convenors of cooperatives. He added that members of Parliament from Karnataka had discussed steps for obtaining the Union Environment Ministry’s clearance and preventing the formation of Cauvery Management Board at Ananth Kumar’s residence in New Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday.
Vouching for the presence of union ministers besides former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa in the meeting, the PMK supremo said that the meeting assumes significance in the light of Karnataka Irrigation Minister M B Patil announcing in the assembly that plans related to the construction of dams across Megedatu would not be discussed in the House lest Tamil Nadu becomes alert.