CHENNAI: Putting up a rare show of unity, MPs from Tamil Nadu belonging to arch-rivals AIADMK and DMK came together inside and outside the Parliament on Tuesday protesting against delay in constitution of Cauvery Management Board. The new-found bonhomie between Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Opposition Leader M.K. Stalin also continued with the leaders speaking over the telephone on the sensitive issue.
A majority of the 50 MPs of the AIADMK and Rajya Sabha members from the DMK held placards in front of the iconic Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex on Tuesday condemning the inordinate delay in setting up of the CMB after the Supreme Court verdict. The unity was also on display inside the Parliament when the AIADMK and DMK MPs jointly forced day-long adjournment of the Rajya Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha where DMK has no presence, the AIADMK MPs forced adjournment after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected their notice for adjournment motion to discuss the Cauvery issue. Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and senior AIADMK leader M. Thambidurai said he was happy that his party and the DMK came together for a “public cause” and that there was nothing wrong in joining hands.
“We are all fighting for Tamil Nadu’s rights when it comes to sharing of Cauvery river water. We have no problem if the DMK joins our protest. We will continue our protest till the Centre heeds to our request,” Thambidurai said. The AIADMK and DMK are upset with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not granting an audience to an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue.
In Chennai, Palaniswami called up Stalin and sought his views before nominating Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and PWD Secretary S K Prabhakar to attend the consultative meeting called by the Union Water Resources Ministry on Friday to discuss the recent Supreme Court order on the Cauvery issue.
Sources said Palaniswami’s call to Stalin was a follow-up to their meeting at the
Secretariat here on Saturday. Speaking to reporters, Stalin said deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam spoke to him over the phone on Monday evening and suggested waiting till March 9 meeting before taking a call on the next course of action.
“I told him that the Centre’s was only diversionary tactic, but since OPS suggested that we wait before taking a call on convening the Assembly to pass a resolution, I agreed,” Stalin said.
