Chennai: “Kannadigas and Tamils are not enemies. We are brothers and sisters,” said Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy in Tirupati today calling for talks between both the State governments to sort out the Mekedatu issue.
Kumaraswamy said, “I have already requested all Tamil political party leaders and the Tamilnadu government. This (Mekedatu) issue is not going to be solved permanently by the judiciary. We must sit and sort it out.”
“Whenever nature supports us by giving good rainfall in water catchment areas, we have shared the water. But, there is no rain now. So, for the best interest of both the State’s farmers, we have to work it out. This is my personal view,” said the Karnataka Chief Minister from Tirupati where he had gone to seek blessings on the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi.
However, DMK treasurer M Duraimurugan speaking from Thoothukudi dismissed Kumaraswamy’s statement saying it was meant to mislead and fool Tamilnadu.
Duraimurugan said, “Tamilnadu has already been fooled in the Cauvery issue. So, judicial action is the need of the hour in Mekedatu issue.”
Meanwhile, in the Parliament, the Mekedatu issue and the alleged Rafale scam was the centre of the debate in today’s session and the opposition MPs created a huge uproar affecting today’s Parliamentary proceedings. AIADMK MPs protested outside the Parliament against Karnataka preparing a report for a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu. The MPs held placards with slogans condemning the project.
Since the start of the winter session of Parliament, the AIADMK has been stalling proceedings objecting the Mekedatu project and the Dam Safety Bill.
Opposition parties such as Trinamool Congress have accused the AIADMK of colluding with the BJP to disrupt the House and prevent meaningful discussions