CHENNAI: Electricity and Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar on Sunday alleged there existed a close nexus between DMK president MK Stalin and Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, and claimed that it was undermining Tamil Nadu’s interests in the Cauvery water dispute.
He also defended the state government’s decision not to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the next course of action, arguing that political parties in Tamil Nadu held divergent views on the issue, unlike their counterparts in Karnataka.
Answering queries by reporters at the Chennai airport, the minister said, “Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar (DKS) and the DMK’s first family have shared a close relationship that goes beyond party politics, for many years. Whatever DKS wishes, the DMK will echo and vice versa.”
The minister added that it was widely claimed that DKS was more eager than anyone else to see DMK return to power. “Many have further alleged that, rather than listening to the Congress leadership, DKS pays greater heed to what MK Stalin says. What has happened over the past week has reflected that,” Nirmal Kumar added.
The minister alleged that, during the tenure of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, then DMK president M Karunanidhi exerted pressure on Karnataka not to release Cauvery water because doing so would earn her political credit. He further alleged that DMK was pursuing the same approach even today.
Referring to Stalin’s remark that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay had become “isolated”, the minister said it appeared to have been made with the intention of causing a setback to the people of Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery water dispute.
The minister recalled that on Saturday, the CM had held consultations with legal experts and decided to move the Supreme Court and completed the necessary legal consultations and preparations for filing the petition. However, while that process was under way, the DMK hurriedly filed its own petition after 5 pm, he alleged.
Nirmal Kumar said filing multiple petitions on behalf of the same state would create confusion and weaken Tamil Nadu’s legal position.
The minister said former CM Jayalalithaa had taken firm stance to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s interests on the Cauvery issue, whereas now, AIADMK was acting in support of Karnataka and BJP by toeing their line.
With regard to the reported release of 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from the Kabini reservoir, the minister said it is not enough for the state. “We need to get 15 TMC water from Karnataka,” he said and recalled that CWMA on Thursday upheld the CWRC recommendation ordering the release of 3,500 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.
