TMC leader points finger at Centre, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments
The hapless Tamil Nadu farmers have come under a three-pronged attack — from the Central Government, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu government itself — and are hemmed in from all sides by the recent developments, Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K. Vasan said here on Sunday.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the sit-in protest being staged by the Cauvery Rights Retreival Committee, Mr. Vasan alleged that the Union Government’s move to establish a singular water disputes tribunal abolishing all other existing tribunals would rob the State of its hard-earned rights on the Cauvery water usage. To compound the problems, the Central Government did not grant adequate crop loss compensation and this exposed the motive of the BJP-led regime at the Centre. The Centre that must be balanced in its approach to the inter-State issues has lost its neutrality and is brazenly siding with Karnataka for political gains.
At the same time, Karnataka has been steadfastly and repeatedly refusing to obey the Supreme Court directives on releasing life-saving water to Tamil Nadu, and the neighbouring State’s attack on delta farmers was there for all to see. Even five days ago, the Karnataka Medium and Major Irrigation Minister M.B. Patil had openly refused to release even a single drop of water from the Cauvery and abide by the Supreme Court directive, claiming there was no water, the TMC leader said.