'I'm not into cheap politics': Vijay, Udhayanidhi spar over Cauvery in Assembly
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Friday defended his push for direct talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery dispute, telling the Assembly that he
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Friday defended his push for direct talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery dispute, telling the Assembly that he was prepared to face even "humiliation" if an attempt at dialogue could help protect the state's interests. Vijay made the remarks as he clashed with Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over the Mekedatu dam issue in the Assembly. Read Full Story In a heated exchange, Vijay outrightly rejected Udhayanidhi's demand for an all-party meeting and insisted that Tamil Nadu would not compromise on its rights over Cauvery water. He also cautioned the Opposition against turning the contentious inter-state dispute into a political battle. "There is no need to convene an all-party meeting. Please do not play politics on the Mekedatu dam issue," Vijay said, responding to Leader of the Opposition's demand that the government bring all political parties together to demonstrate Tamil Nadu's united opposition to Karnataka's proposed dam. Vijay said the government had taken note of the Opposition's views on the Cauvery issue and stressed that it had no intention of politicising a matter to which the people of Tamil Nadu have an emotional attachment. The Chief Minister added all parties had earlier come together to pass a resolution on Mekedatu and that the state's position had subsequently been conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the government did not stop there and later wrote to the Prime Minister citing the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and relevant legal provisions while urging the Centre not to allow the project. "Whatever our stand may be, we have expressed it through a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our government will not compromise on its rights regarding the river water issue or the Mekedatu dam issue," Vijay said. Responding to Udhayanidhi, Vijay also traced Tamil Nadu's handling of the Cauvery dispute over the decades, referring to discussions in the Assembly dating back to 1969. He said the state's approach over the years had ranged from considering dialogue to pursuing legal remedies. Vijay, however, said he did not want to invoke the past to score political points or question who was responsible for decisions taken decades ago. "I do not want to indulge in cheap politics by bringing up past history. Do not think about who will gain politically or who will take credit for this issue," he said. The Chief Minister maintained that his government's position on pursuing the Cauvery issue legally remained unchanged and that Tamil Nadu would continue to strongly defend its rights. Acknowledging that it was he who had proposed an attempt to directly engage with Karnataka, Vijay said the initiative should not be interpreted as a departure from Tamil Nadu's legal position on the Cauvery dispute.
The BriefWire