Bengaluru: Union Minister and BJP’s Karnataka election in-charge Prakash Javadekar on Monday remarked that Congress had betrayed Karnataka by not doing enough to resolve the Mahadayi drinking water row.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Javadekar said, “The Congress is the real culprit for its double talk on Mahadayi. When the Congress was ruling at both the Centre and in the state, it did not take steps to resolve the crisis. Actually the project got in-principle approval during then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s tenure and canal work had started when B.S. Yeddyurappa was Deputy Chief Minister and K.S. Eshwarappa was the irrigation minister in the BJP-JD(S) coalition government. However, Mr Siddaramaiah has discontinued Kalasa- Banduri work for drawing water from Mahadayi”, he explained.
In all magnanimity , Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had agreed to resolve the Mahadayi issue keeping in mind the drinking water crisis in Karnataka. But the Congress has been instigating people after Mr Parrikar agreed to talks. Once B.S. Yeddyurappa becomes CM after the 2018 polls, things will move fast on the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri project, Mr Javadekar said.
“In Goa, the Congress is opposing the project, but here, they are raising questions against the BJP. Even Congress former President Sonia Gandhi assured people of Goa that Congress will not allow a single drop of water to flow to Karnataka from Mahadayi. It shows the love of the Congress for Karnataka”, Mr Javadekar remarked bitterly.
The BJP leader also criticized the remarks made by KPCC working president Dinesh Gundurao on his Raj Bhavan visit. “ When I checked into Raj Bhavan for a halt, the Governor had left for Gujarat. I never met the Governor at Raj Bhavan but the Congress is making baseless statements that I met the Governor and discussed politics. This is nothing but ridiculous”, Mr. Javadekar added.
