DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday alleged that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami mortgaged Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery with the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Addressing an election rally at Orathanadu, where he campaigned for the candidates fielded by the party and its allies in the eight Assembly constituencies in Thanjavur district, he listed out the efforts of late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in establishing the State’s right over Cauvery river water over the decades.
The Chief Minister had blamed and held Karunanidhi responsible for the problems in sharing of Cauvery water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Strongly criticising Mr. Palaniswami for attempting to taint the image of Karunanidhi on the issue, Mr. Stalin said it was the present Chief Minister who had mortgaged the State’s right over Cauvery waters with the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Mr. Palaniswami never bothered to act or even hear the pleas of the Opposition parties to save the interests of the State by scuttling the Karnataka government’s proposal to construct a dam across the River at Mekedatu, the DMK leader said.
“We urged him to convene an all-party meeting and arrange for a meeting with the Prime Minister on this issue, but he remained silent. Such being the case, Mr. Palaniswami is trying to project the former Chief Minister Karunanidhi in bad light, which he should desist from,” Mr. Stalin added.
‘Farmer’ comment
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister’s claim of being a farmer, Mr. Stalin said had he been a real farmer, he should have opposed the three contentious farm laws enacted by the Union government. But the Chief Minister belittled the farmers agitating in New Delhi as “middlemen”, he added.
He assured voters that a new district would be created with Kumbakonam as the headquarters and Thiruvonam would be made a separate taluk if the DMK is voted to power. Mr. Stalin ended his speech by calling upon people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
