DMK's Karunanidhi is 'jealous' of AIADMK's growing clout: Jayalalithaa

Chennai: Coming down heavily on DMK president Karunanidhi for his "wrong" statements on river water issues, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday said the 90-year-old leader was "jealous" of her party's growing clout.

"Karunanidhi is giving wrong statements (on river water issues including Mullaiperiyar) as he is unable to tolerate the growing clout of AIADMK headed by me. It is a reflection of jealousy and a result of political grudge," she said in a statement here.

With Kerala opposed to inter-linking of two of its rivers with Tamil Nadu's Vaipar, Karunanidhi had on June 27 sought to know the AIADMK government's stand on it.

"When I met Prime Minister Modi on June 3, I had appealed to him to consider diversion of waters from Pampa and Achenkovil (in Kerala) to Vaipar in Tamil Nadu," she had said on June 28 in response to a poser of Karunanidhi.

Also the National Register of Large Dams had made it clear that the four dams were operated and maintainted by Tamil Nadu.

The authorities were urged to include a note that the dams are owned by Tamil Nadu.

"This has been accepted and it has been said that the note as requested by Tamil Nadu will be incorporated during the revision of the National Register," she had said.

Hinting at this explanation made by her earlier, Jayalalithaa today said the DMK leader "neither understood her explanation nor referred to national registers" on dams.

Even Supreme Court judgement of May 7 affirmed that Tamil Nadu owned and operated Mullaiperiyar dam though it was situated in Kerala, she said, adding, this point was made by her already.

Also, no official document says that Kerala owned Mullaiperiyar, Parambikulam, Thunakadavu and Peruvaripallam dams, she said.

As regards intra-state projects like a barrage at Mayanur across River Cauvery, she said several components of work was not even taken up during the DMK regime.

"After I assumed power, the work was completed and the barrage project was launched by me on June 25."