DMK calls all-party meeting' on Cauvery, asks govt to convene Assembly
Chennai: An 'all-party meeting' called by DMK on the Cauvery issue on Tuesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately convene the state Assembly to discuss the matter, even as ruling AIADMK and BJP criticised the M K Stalin-led consultations.
The meeting, chaired by Stalin, the DMK Treasurer and Opposition Leader in the Assembly, was boycotted by AIADMK, BJP and all constituents of the four-party People's Welfare Front, comprising MDMK, CPI(M), CPI and VCK.
Both AIADMK and BJP lampooned the DMK, saying Tuesday's meeting was that of DMK and its allies and not an all-party meeting as made out by Stalin.
DMK's allies Congress and IUML, besides G K Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress(M) and certain farmer's outfits participated in the meeting.
The meeting adopted a slew of resolutions and alleged that upper riparian state Karnataka was "making a mockery" of federal principles by not implementing the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on water sharing.
The Central government, "which should advice Karnataka, was instead supporting it for political reasons," it said in an apparent reference to the 2018 Assembly polls in that state.
Such a stand was affecting the Tamil Nadu farmers, it said and urged the state government to convene a session of the Assembly to discuss the matter.
"To show that the Tamil people are united and have no differences (on the Cauvery issue) and to condemn Karnataka and the Centre for not showing the slightest respect to court orders, Tamil Nadu government should immediately convene a special session of the state Assembly," it resolved.
The House should adopt a resolution on constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the state government should further "exert pressure" on the Centre by leading an all-party delegation to Prime Minister Modi on the matter, it said.
The Prime Minister must be urged to take a 'dispassionate stand' on implementation of the final award of the Tribunal and should also be apprised of 'precedences' where management boards have been constituted in the Krishna-Godavari and Narmada issues, it said.
The meeting also criticised the Centre for reversing its stand on constituting CMB and also demanded that the state government provide compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for Cauvery delta farmers as they did not get adequate water for kuruvai and samba crops this year.
It also alleged that the report of the High Level Committee that surveyed Cauvery delta areas in Tamil Nadu, besides Karnataka, had "not reflected" the prevailing situation in the state.
The AIADMK and BJP, however, had no kind words for DMK for the meeting convened by Stalin.
"It is not an all-party meeting but a DMK meeting. If their intention was good and if they had really struggled for Cauvery, all would have participated," AIADMK spokesperson C R Saraswathy said.
She charged the DMK with having failed to ensure any solution to the vexed issue, "despite being in power for long".
"DMK did not raise the issue even in Parliament despite being a part of the Central government for 19 years," she said in an apparent reference to the Karunanidhi-led party being a part of various coalitions that formed governments at the Centre.
Senior BJP leader and Minister of State Pon Radhakrishnan alleged that the meeting convened by DMK would not benefit farmers in any way.
"This all-party meeting is out and out a DMK alliance meeting. More so, a meeting of those who are desperate to join (DMK-led) alliance," he said without naming anybody.
Meanwhile, Stalin said that he had extended invitations to all political parties, including AIADMK and DMDK.
He recalled that DMDK founder Vijayakant, as Opposition Leader had last year led an all-party delegation (sans AIADMK) to meet Modi on the same issue and had had DMK's support as its Rajya Sabha MP 'Tiruchi' Siva was present.
He denied that the meeting was being held for 'political mileage', an opinion echoed by TMC(M) leader Vasan also.
He said DMK would convene similar meetings in future in a bid to discuss the vexed Cauvery issue.
Rejecting criticism that his party had failed to do anything on the Cauvery issue, Stalin said that the Cauvery tribunal was set up by former Prime Minister VP Singh following "Kalaignar (Karunanidhi's) efforts".
Meanwhile, PWF constituent VCK said that though it had taken efforts to convince its partners to attend Tuesday's meeting, the party itself boycotted it to "avoid" unnecessary confusion ahead of the November 19 polls to three Assembly seats in the state.
Party founder Thol Thirumavalavan in a letter to Stalin said VCK had tried to convince the other PWF constituents to participate in the meeting, but the majority view was against it and that VCK was abiding by it.
PWF's participation in the meeting will give "confusing signals" to party workers ahead of the elections to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi, besides the by-poll to Thiruparankundram, all slated in November.
PWF is not fielding candidates in either of the seats. Earlier, the political circles of Tamil Nadu were abuzz over VCK's willingness to attend the meeting as it was seen as a sign of getting close to former ally DMK.
