Terming the formation of a temporary Cauvery Monitoring Committee by the Centre as a mere eyewash, Bharatiya Janata Party state president Pon. Radhakrishnan has sought for a permanent monitoring committee.
Mr. Radhakrishnan was here on Monday to participate in the meeting of party office-bearers from Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi (Reserve) and Tuticorin Parliamentary constituencies.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the ‘kuruvai’ cultivation in the delta region had been seriously affected due to the drought-like situation prevailing in Tamil Nadu. He urged the Karnataka Government, which had to release water in the Cauvery as mandated by the Cauvery River Water Authority on earlier occasions, to do so without further delay. If the Karnataka Government was still adamant, the Siddaramaiah-led government should be dismissed, he added. If a permanent Cauvery Monitoring Committee was formed, such unpleasant situations could be avoided and hence the Centre should work in this direction immediately.
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Otherwise, the temporary Cauvery Monitoring Committee, which has been formed as per the directive issued by the Supreme Court, would remain useless, he said. While urging the State to take action against those who invited Jammu and Kashmir “separatist leader” Yasin Malik to participate in their party’s conference, Mr. Radhakrishnan said the State Government should reconsider its decision to construct a memorial for Tippu Sultan, “as he was in favour of religious conversion”.
He said Maoists and Naxalites started infiltrating into Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Ramanathapuram, Murugamalai, Kodaikanal and Varushanadu.