BJP going against TN on Cauvery issue: TMC

CHENNAI, April 12: The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) on Saturday demanded that the interim order passed by the Tribunal constituted to adjudi...

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CHENNAI, April 12: The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) on Saturday demanded that the interim order passed by the Tribunal constituted to adjudicate on the Cauvery river water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka be implemented with immediate effect. The order should be gazetted, pleaded the TMC.

In a statement, the TMC urged the Tamil Nadu Government to uphold the riparian rights of the farmers in the Cauvery delta region, and convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue.

TMC president G K Moopanar cautioned the public that thParty-led Government at the Centre and the AIADMK were preparing to betray the interests of Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery river water dispute.

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Though AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha announced that her six-point charter included the Cauvery river water sharing issue and that the charter was accepted by the BJP-led Government, the national agenda of the BJP and its allies chose to be silent on the river water issue, the TMC pointed out. Contending that the national riverwater policy, which found a place in the agenda, reflected the voice of Karnataka in the dispute, Moopanar said that the national river water policy was aimed at destroying the interim order of the Tribunal which favoured Tamil Nadu. Besides, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee was non-committal in his reply to the issue on the floor of the Lok Sabha during the confidence motion, he added.

The Karnataka Government, which refused to accept the Tribunal’s order, is now trying to divert people’s attention, saying it believed in bipartite talks, said Moopanar. Due to Karnataka Government’s "cunning efforts", the dispute has been pushed back to square one, the TMC leader said.

Moopanar termed as "unfortunate" Karnataka CM J H Patel’s statement that the interim order of the Tribunal would not be gazetted until the river water policy is in place. Patil had also said the prime minister favoured bipartite talks between the affected states. Karnataka BJP leader Nanje Gowda had remarked that the national river water policyshould be formulated before the SC delivered its judgement in the Cauvery dispute.