Both BJP and Congress have betrayed Tamils: G.K. Vasan

The Tamil Maanila Congress plans a protest in Chennai on Monday after meeting farmers from the delta region.

Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Vasan. File

The present Bharatiya Janata Party-run NDA government and the Congress government in Karnataka had betrayed the Tamils by delaying the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Vasan charged here on Friday.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a function, he said the BJP by belying hopes and testing patience of Tamil farmers and planning to move the Supreme Court in the eleventh hour for clarification on its original order had betrayed the State's interest. The party acted keeping in mind the Karnataka Assembly election, he alleged.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, who belonged to the Congress, by opposing the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, even after the expiry of the Supreme Court's deadline of six weeks, had challenged the course of justice, Mr. Vasan felt.

The Congress' stance in the public sphere was quite contrary to what it did behind the scene. The Cauvery dispute had amply demonstrated this and in the ensuing elections, Tamil voters, who had seen through the party's game, would teach a befitting lesson to the party and also those who would ally with it.

Continuing his charge at the national parties, Mr. Vasan said both the parties saw the Cauvery dispute as only a problem concerning the Tamil farmers. Farmers across India are concerned over it, he said.

‘Rise above partisan politics’

Mr. Vasan wanted the Tamil Nadu government to lead an all-party delegation, including the DMK, to New Delhi to stage a protest to put pressure on the Union government for the formation of Cauvery board.

If the political parties did not raise above narrow political gains, then the people would lose faith in democracy and justice, he said. Tamil Nadu suffered the most due to the protracted Cauvery dispute, he added.

The failure to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the reduction in quantity of water assigned to Tamil Nadu had put a question mark over the livelihood of not only farmers in the Cauvery delta districts but also to the drinking water needs of people in over 20 districts, Mr. Vasan said.

Mr. Vasan said that though the Government could move the contempt petition only after the end of the six-week period, it’s action had been rather slow.

He also said that he was not for the resignation of the Members of Parliament from the State, as only proactive and construction action would force the Centre to act.

Mr. Vasan said that the TMC would hold an emergency meeting in Tirchi on Saturday, meet with farmers' associations in delta districts on Sunday and hold a protest in Chennai on Monday.