The State government should convene an all-party meeting to discuss the stalemate in the Cauvery issue and a delegation from the State should meet the Prime Minister to press for the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), said Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K.Vasan here on Saturday.
Leading a protest demonstration near the bus stand at Ariyalur on Saturday, Mr. Vasan strongly condemned the Centre’s stand that the Cauvery Management Board could not be constituted immediately and accused the Centre and Karnataka governments of betraying the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers.
Alleging that the BJP and the Congress were favouring Karnataka for political gains, he said delta farmers are being made a pawn in the political game and deprived of their rights. “This is unacceptable. If the situation continued, farmers of the State will never accept the national parties,” he said.
The Centre should have remained non-partisan and initiated action against the Karnataka government for failing to abide by the Supreme Court directives. “Karnataka should release Tamil Nadu’s due share of water in the Cauvery and the Centre should take immediate steps to form the CMB,” he insisted.
He also demanded that the Centre and State government waive all crop loans of farmers.
Earlier, Mr.Vasan and a large number of party cadre raised slogans against the Centre and the Karnataka government for their stand on the Cauvery issue. Puliyur A.Nagarajan, president of the farmers wing of the party, and other leaders participated.
