Erode, July 27:
Tamil Nadu Revenue and Disaster Management Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan on Sunday asserted that Karnataka would not be able to proceed with the proposed Mekedatu dam project as long as Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay remained in office.
Addressing reporters in Erode, Sengottaiyan said it had been a long-standing practice for representatives of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to engage with Karnataka during the Cauvery water dispute. He recalled that during the tenure of former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, leaders such as O. Panneerselvam and C. Ve. Shanmugam had visited Karnataka on her behalf. During the DMK regime, Duraimurugan represented the State, he added, noting that such efforts were typically followed by legal recourse.
The minister said Chief Minister Vijay was now personally taking up the responsibility of safeguarding Tamil Nadu’s interests in the Cauvery issue and there was nothing unusual about it.
Commenting on the political scenario, Sengottaiyan said the people had voted for change, enabling the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) to form the government. In an apparent reference to Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he remarked that “one person is still dreaming of becoming Chief Minister,” adding that many from the AIADMK had joined the ruling party.