If the government failed to explain the circumstances leading to the release of water from Mullaiperiyar dam even before the water storage reached the Supreme Court-permitted level of 142 feet, the DMK would have to face the consequences, AIADMK coordinator O. Panneerselvam said on Saturday.
Rejecting the statement made by Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan during his visit to Mullaiperiyar dam on Friday, Mr. Panneerselvam said the questions raised by the AIADMK over the issue still remained unanswered. “I expect the Tamil Nadu government to explain what happened. If not, the DMK will face the consequences,” he said in a statement.
According to him, the question that remained unanswered is whether the release of water from Mullaiperiyar dam to Kerala was an arbitrary action of Kerala or did Tamil Nadu give its nod for it. If it was arbitrary action of Kerala, how were officials from Tamil Nadu were present during the event, he asked.
“The questions remain as to whether farmers and other political parties were consulted if Tamil Nadu had given its nod and what was the need to release water to Kerala when the water storage has not reached 142 feet. It is condemnable to criticise the AIADMK instead of providing answers to these queries,” Mr. Panneerselvam contended.
While the DMK government had the duty and responsibility to clear the doubts in the minds of farmers, the AIADMK would hold an agitation condemning the government for not clearing these doubts. Countering charges by Mr. Duraimurugan against him that that he had not visited or inspected Mullaiperiyar dam, Mr. Panneerselvam said that he had visited the area at least 14 times since 2002.
Asserting that AIADMK had “every right moral right” to speak about any issue concerning the people of Tamil Nadu, he listed the efforts taken by his party in ensuring the rights of the State in the Mullaiperiyar and Cauvery water issues. “People of Tamil Nadu will realise whether the DMK has the moral right given the party’s past actions,” he felt.
