Chennai: We did not invite TTV to return to AIADMK, says CM Edappadi K Palaniswami

Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday asserted that his AIADMK had not invited T. T. V. Dhinakaran to return to the parent organisation, as he was not a member of the party. The invitation was extended to only those who ‘went off the track’ after being misled, he said.

“Who is afraid of Dhinakaran? No one in AIADMK is afraid of him. Some AIADMK members have been misled by ettappar (traitor) who attempted to cause a split in the party. We invited those who went off the track believing his words and not Dhinakaran, who is not a member of the AIADMK,” Mr Palaniswami said referring to the party extending an olive branch to the 18 disqualified party MLAs.

The party had appealed to the ‘rebel’ lawmakers after the Madras High Court had upheld the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal’s order disqualifying them.

Mr Palaniswami, who is AIADMK joint coordinator, said some people were “lured away with an intention to break the AIADMK.” Speaking to reporters in Madurai, the CM claimed that the DMK anticipated the fall of the AIADMK government, and also a split in the party, following the death of J. Jayalalithaa. “But such a thing never happened. The DMK had now resorted to filing cases against him and some of his cabinet colleagues, accusing them with corruption,” he said.

To a question, he replied, check dams could not be raised on the course of Cauvery river without the consent of all the States sharing the river water for irrigation. Building a check dam at Rasimanal in the State would be a reality if Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry agree to it. “Karnataka is not willing to even release water for us, will they give consent for a check dam project across the Cauvery?” he asked.

Taking the crisis into account, his government has constituted an expert committee comprising of six retired chief engineers to ascertain the scope for constructing check dams across rivers in the State. The initiative would go a long way in saving every single drop of water during monsoon, thus augmenting the groundwater and ensuring water for irrigation and drinking. About Rs. 1,000 crore has been allotted for the purpose and the programme would be implemented in three years’ time.