Launching a rally to “retrieve Cauvery rights” at Mukkombu near Tiruchi on Saturday, DMK working president M.K. Stalin blamed the Edappadi K. Palaniswami-led AIADMK government for failing to exert enough pressure on the Centre to form the Cauvery Management Board as per the Supreme Court’s verdict.
Flanked by leaders of friendly parties on a makeshift podium on the banks of the river Cauvery and sporting a green towel in a symbolic expression of solidarity with the farmers, Mr. Stalin recalled that while participating in a discussion on the Cauvery issue during a special session of the Assembly recently, he suggested that all Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly from Tamil Nadu resign en masse so as to exert pressure on the Central government to form the CMB.
He had promised that the DMK MPs and MLAs would tender their resignation the moment their AIADMK counterparts did the same. If his suggestion had been acted upon, the Narendra Modi-led Central government would have had no option but to form the CMB, Mr. Stalin claimed.
“The Supreme Court’s verdict in the Cauvery water sharing dispute is very clear. The Central government should have formed the CMB within the stipulated time frame. But, it is yet to implement the order,” the DMK leader said.
‘Spineless government’
The AIADMK government was ‘spineless’ and could not even condemn the statements of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Secretary of the Water Resources department and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against the formation of the CMB, he said.
“Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, in response to a question in the Assembly regarding the delay in the formation of the CMB, asked us to wait for four days. But nothing has happened so far. The State government has failed to take any effective action. The Chief Minister, who chaired a day-long Cabinet meeting after the deadline for forming the CMB lapsed, did not even reveal what transpired at the meeting,” he noted.
Mr. Stalin said he hoped that the objective of the rally would be achieved by the time it culminated in Cuddalore. If not, the DMK would enlarge the scope of the agitation.
Dravidar Kazhagam president K. Veeramani, who flagged off the ‘Cauvery Rights Retrieval Journey’, said the Centre was following an indifferent approach towards Tamil Nadu on various issues. The journey was not only for retrieving Cauvery rights, but for restoring the rights of the State on various other issues, he said.
CPI(M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, Congress leader Tiruchi Velusamy, MDMK leader Tirupur Duraisamy, Indian Union Muslim League national president K.M. Khader Mohideen and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi leader M.H. Jawahirullah addressed the gathering.
En route to Kallanai in Thanjavur district, Mr. Stalin walked for some distance along the populated villages. The journey will end at Cuddalore on April 12.
