CHENNAI: Strongly condemning Union Minister of State V Somanna’s remark over the Mekedatu row, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the BJP-led Union government had betrayed Tamil Nadu by appointing an MP from Karnataka as Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti.
“On behalf of the AIADMK, I strongly condemn the continuous hypocrisy of the Central and state governments over Cauvery and Mekedatu dam issues. It is unacceptable that the DMK government and its ally Congress government in Karnataka have been betraying the people of Tamil Nadu and its farmers. Now, the BJP-led NDA government has also joined hands with them,” he said.
“The Centre should remain neutral and solve the Cauvery row between the two southern states – TN and Karnataka. However, it appointed a MP from Karnataka, V Somanna, as Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti. It amounts to betrayal of TN people,” he said in his social media post and pointed out the Minister’s response to a question over the ongoing tussle between the two states. The Minister reportedly said that there should be negotiations over the issue.
“Though the case over the Mekedatu dam project pending before the Supreme Court, the newly appointed Union Minister, who should be unbiased, told reporters that there should be negotiations on the issue,” EPS said and continued that it caused great turmoil among the farmers in Delta region.
Palaniswami also hit out at Chief Minister MK Stalin saying that he is remaining silent over the development and the Minister’s remake. It is unacceptable and strongly condemnable.
PMK founder S Ramadoss also joined the issue and urged the TN government to ignore any invite from the Centre for talks over the Cauvery row. In a statement, Ramadoss said that farmers in Tamil Nadu had opposed Somanna’s appointment as he was supporting the Mekedatu project while he was a Karnataka Minister. “He lost his neutrality and trust since he spoke in favour of Karnataka. He should function as a neutral Minister of all the states. Moreover, the Tamil Nadu government should ignore any invite from the Centre for talks over the issue,” he urged.