Accusing the Bharathiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of betraying the people of Tamil Nadu in the Cauvery water sharing issue, PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Saturday said that the BJP is acting against the interests of Tamil Nadu for political gains in Karnataka.
Addressing a protest meeting at Valluvar Kottam here, he said the Tamil people must identify BJP as a party inimical to Tamil Nadu. “BJP’s actions are antithetical to the interests of Tamil Nadu. The people of Tamil Nadu must identify national parties, particularly the BJP, as those who betrayed Tamil farmers and Tamil Nadu,” he alleged.
He criticised the BJP for not respecting the Supreme Court verdict that directed the Centre to form the Cauvery Management Board within four weeks. “They know they can win nothing in Tamil Nadu. So they are favouring Karnataka whose MPs are lobbying for Karnataka government. Both the DMK and AIADMK need to take the blame for not solving this issue,” he said. “After agreeing to form the management board initially, they changed their tune in a matter of four days,” he said.
Terming the issue as one of livelihood of farmers, he said: “History won’t be kind to us if we don’t protest against the Centre. Nationalisation of rivers across India is the only solution for this issue.”
Dr. Ramadoss rejected the Centre’s suggestion that the formation of the Cauvery Management Board needed to be discussed in the Lok Sabha. He asked, “What is there to discuss after the Supreme Court has given the verdict? The Centre must respect the Supreme Court verdict. This betrayal should not continue.”
PMK president G.K. Mani said only his party had consistently voiced its support for farmers. “We hope the farmers support PMK to secure their rights,” he added.
‘History won’t
be kind to us if we don’t protest
against the Centre
on this issue’
