Tiruchy: Launching a fresh broadside against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, the DMK president, M.K. Stalin on Tuesday warned that any "intent to betray (Vanjikka Ninaithaal)" Tamil Nadu's interests in the issue of building a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu by upper riparian Karnataka, will lead to a situation where "Mr Modi will not be welcome to Tamil Nadu."
Winding up a DMK-led all-party rally here to condemn the Centre's nod to Karnataka for preparing the 'DPR' for the Mekedatu reservoir, he urged the Government of India to withdraw its permission in this regard.
Stalin underscored there was already much anger in the ground in the Cauvery delta districts following the recent devastating 'Gaja' cyclone which has affected 12 districts in Tamil Nadu this year. If Karnataka was allowed to go through with this Rs.6,000 crore new reservoir project at Mekedatru, Cauvery waters reaching the lower riparian state will be further curtailed, the DMK leader contended.
Mr. Stalin also questioned the Edappadi K Palaniswami government in the state, which for "political reasons" had failed to impress upon the Central government not to give any sort of permission to the Mekedatu project.
He said the Central government before giving its nod to Karnataka's DPR, for the project, could have obtained Tamil Nadu's views, as the State Assembly had passed resolutions against this project twice.
The AIADMK government had also not convened a special session of the Assembly now with serious issues including 'Gaja' cyclone fallout facing the state, he said. The Centre's response to cyclone relief was far from adequate, he added.
Virtually speaker after speaker at the protest rally, criticised both the Central and State governments on the action taken regarding the Mekedatu dam issue and the Government of India's "pittance" of a response to a major calamity of national proportions due to the recent 'Gaja' cyclone.
The speakers were all from among DMK's allies, which the main opposition party hopes to string a grand alliance ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The TNCC president, S. Thirunavukkarasar, MDMK general secretary, Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary, K. Balakrishnan, CPI state secretary, R. Mutharasan, Dravidar Kazhagam leader K Veeramani, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, IUML national president, Prof K M Khader Mohideen and Manitha Neya Makkal Katchi state general secretary Abdul Samad Unbtil, were among the leaders who addressed the massive protest.
