To discuss inter-State issues, including the construction of the proposed dam across River Cauvery at Mekedatu
Chennai: The invitation to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to visit Bengaluru on August 3 and discuss inter-State issues, including the construction of the proposed dam across River Cauvery at Mekedatu, by his Karnataka counterpart D K Shivakumar has drawn flak from opposition parties in Tamil Nadu that were against the idea of holding talks on the touchy issue with the neighboring State.
Disclosing details about the meeting at Bengaluru, Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister R Vinoth said at Kumbakonam, on Friday that Vijay would urge the Karnataka government to give up its plans for the new dam and demand the release of water in the Cauvery to enable the State get its due share.
Speaking to media after inaugurating a few government buildings, the Minister said the visit of Vijay to Bengaluru was aimed at safeguarding the State water interest through discussions, the opposition parties like the PMK warned against holding negotiations with Karnataka that had been repeatedly erring on the Cauvery dispute.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss wanted to know who was organizing the meeting in Bengaluru – was it the Union Government or the Karnataka government – and said that from the information that was available it looked that Vijay was willing to take part in the discussions.
Expressing shock over the development, he said that by holding talks on the Mekedatu dam, Tamil Nadu would be accepting the issue as an inter-state dispute, which it was not. It was Karnataka’s problem that Tamil Nadu should confront only through legal avenues, he said.
Discussing the Mekedatu issue with Karnataka would be a setback to Tami Nadu and hence Vijay should call off his trip to Bengaluru on August 3, he said.
After the meeting in Bengaluru, Vijay is reportedly flying to New Delhi to attend the function relating to the release of MDMK leader Vaiko’s book release on August 4. MDMK is now part of the alliance led by the TVK in the State and Vaiko had praised Vijay to the skies recently.
Vijay would return to Chennai after the book release to attend the Assembly when the maiden annual Budget of his government would be presented in the Legislative Assembly by State Finance Minister Marie Wilson.
