All-India Congress Committee general secretary B.K. Hariprasad has alleged that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is creating hurdles to an out-of-court settlement of the Mahadayi dispute.
He told presspersons here on Saturday that it was an inter-State water dispute and only Prime Minister Narendra Modi could intervene for an out-of-court settlement.
However, Mr. Parikkar was creating hurdles. BJP MPs from the State should pressure Mr. Modi for an early solution in the larger interests of the people and farmers, he added.
Lashing out at Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu for his statements that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was responsible for the present hurdles, Mr. Hariprasad said Mr. Naidu should explain what was his contribution to Karnataka, from where he had been getting elected to the Rajya Sabha for the last 18 years. “Now, to save his face, Mr. Naidu is making baseless remarks against Ms. Gandhi. Such statements will not serve any purpose. The National Democratic Alliance government should rush to the rescue of farmers of North Karnataka from the clutches of drought,” he added.
Mr. Prasad also condemned the murder of writer M.M. Kalburgi.
