Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran said that Friday's blockade of roads to Kerala from Tamil Nadu led by the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhakam (MDMK) over the Mullaperiyar issue was a gratuitous exercise.
Talking to The Hindu , the Minister said that at a time when a settlement of the issue was in its final stages, the blockade was both unfortunate and unnecessary.
Mr. Premachandran said that in a country having a federal constitution such an agitation was totally undemocratic in all respects. The blockade smacked of ill intentions. By declaring a trade embargo on another State, the MDMK had openly challenged the people of Kerala. The blockade was in all respects unjustified, he said.
The aim of the blockade was to destroy the bonhomie between the two States and provoke the people of Kerala. The MDMK was trying to politicise the issue and make political capital out of it, Mr. Premachandran said. “But the MDMK will miserably fail in that mission.” The people of Kerala would not get provoked by such shows. There would be no move from Kerala that would spoil the relationship between the two States, he said.
Mr. Premachandran said that at all formal forums Kerala had repeatedly assured that there would not be any scaling down on the quantity of water Tamil Nadu received from the Mullaperiyar for irrigation and drinking water sectors. Kerala continued to maintain that stand, he added.
