Chennai, Nov 14 (PTI) DMK President M K Stalin on Saturday urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to convene an all-party meeting to express Tamil Nadu’s united stand against the Mekedatu dam proposal and oppose the Karnataka CM’s remarks reiterating his resolve to build the reservoir.
The Tamil Nadu government should no longer remain silent on the dam issue, as the Karnataka Chief Minister Shivakumar had once again started speaking seriously about building it, Stalin said.
In a letter to Vijay, the former chief minister said Shivakumar had spoken about the dam issue on November 13 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a government event.
Shivakumar’s remark that nobody would be able to stop the construction of the dam had caused considerable concern among farmers in Tamil Nadu, he said.
Going beyond water-sharing concerns, the Cauvery River was historically and sentimentally intertwined with the lives of Tamils, while the livelihoods of farmers in the delta region depended on its waters, he said.
“At this juncture, I would like to once again remind (the government) that Tamil Nadu cannot turn a blind eye to the Mekedatu issue,” he said.
“The Tamil Nadu government should no longer remain silent on the dam issue, as Shivakumar has once again started speaking seriously about it. Hence, to demonstrate our unity against the proposal to construct the dam and express our opposition to the Karnataka CM’s remarks reiterating his resolve to build the reservoir, an all-party meeting must be convened,” he said.
Stalin suggested that the resolutions adopted at the proposed all-party meeting, along with the resolution against the dam proposal passed by the Assembly in June this year, be presented to PM Modi by elected representatives.
“As regards our rights in the Cauvery issue, it is essential that we stand together, transcending party lines and going beyond individual likes and dislikes. I believe that the Tamil Nadu government will immediately announce an all-party meeting, heeding the pleas of farmers and political parties in the state,” he said.
Underscoring that Tamil Nadu had consistently pursued its rights in the Cauvery issue through legal battles, the DMK chief recalled that Vijay had attempted to hold discussions on the matter, but Shivakumar eventually declined to participate in view of opposition from some outfits in his state.
Such attempts and their fallout were not to the liking of the people of Tamil Nadu, he said.
Against this backdrop, Stalin said he had urged the government to convene an all-party meeting to demonstrate unity among political parties in Tamil Nadu in protecting farmers’ interests, particularly in view of the unanimity among political parties in Karnataka on the issue.
When the Assembly passed a resolution seeking reference of the Mekedatu dam issue to a tribunal, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin had also sought an all-party meeting.
He had further urged that a resolution adopted at such a meeting be handed over to the Prime Minister by elected representatives to seek his intervention. PTI VGN SSK
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