Chennai: Averring that the Centre is firm on constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and in ensuring Tamil Nadu receives the Cauvery river water that is due for it, Union minister of state for finance and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan accused DMK and its ally Congress of deceiving people on the issue.
“Even two days ago, Union ninister Nitin Gadkari held a meeting. I wish to stress that the Centre is bestowing full attention not only on forming the CMB but also in taking all steps to ensure Karnataka gives the water due for Tamil Nadu,” Mr Radhakrishnan said on Saturday. Speaking to reporters here he accused DMK and Congress of “plotting to mislead the people” on the issue. “They think they can speak anything and mislead the people,” he said.
“Let DMK working president M.K. Stalin first take Congress chief Su. Thirunavukarasar with him to Karnataka and hold talks with the Congress government there. Let him ask why they are opposing the formation of CMB. Why is he not doing it? Why is he hesitating?. In my view, both (DMK & Congress) are plotting to deceive the people of Tamil Nadu.”
On Stalin's suggestion that his party MPs are ready to resign on the Cauvery issue, Mr Radhakrishnan asked, “why don't they resign? They should have resigned instead of asking all MPs from Tamil Nadu to resign.” “You can talk anything and mislead the people. But BJP will do only that which benefits the people of Tamil Nadu,” the minister added.
He also tore into DMK for opposing the Ram Rajya rath yatra's entry into TN by accusing it of practicing double standards. “If they want they will knock at the doors of all the mathathipathis, go to temples offer worship, perform yagam, to somehow win the elections and when they don't want they will belittle the people,” he said.
To a question that R.K. Nagar MLA T.T.V. Dhinakaran accused the ruling AIADMK of being BJP's agent, the Minister shot back “for whom is he working as agent to say so? Let him first take care of the party he has
formed.”
