Accusing the Congress of indulging in doublespeak with respect to the inter-State row over sharing the Mahadayi river water, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday described it as the “villain”.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Javadekar, who is also BJP’s poll in-charge for Karnataka, wondered why the Goa Congress unit was opposing the gesture of the State’s Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of being ready for talks with Karnataka to provide drinking water to the drought-prone areas.
“Opposing in Goa and questioning the BJP over delay in resolving the issue in Karnataka are the two contrasting stands of Congress with respect to the Mahadayi issue,” he remarked.
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Alleging that the Congress had not done anything with respect to Mahadayi, he maintained that it was only during the tenure of A.B. Vajpayee as Prime Minister that an in-principle clearance had been granted for the Kalasa-Banduri project.
Later, when BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa was the Deputy Chief Minister and K.S. Eshwarappa was the Irrigation Minister the foundation for the project had been laid, he said. But Mr. Siddaramaiah had failed to take forward the project work, he alleged.
Referring to the former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s statement in 2012 that not a single drop of Mahadayi water would be given to Karnataka, he alleged that the Congress had betrayed Karnataka and its farmers.
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In a reference to the ongoing protests related to delay in resolving the row, Mr. Javadekar accused the Congress of instigating people.
He claimed that the BJP was trying to provide a solution to the row and the Goa Chief Minister had supported it.