Will resolve Cauvery issue if we are voted back to power: Chidambaram

Bringing a contentious Cauvery dispute amidst the election blitzkrieg, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has said if voted back to power the Congress party will resolve the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Tuesday he blamed Prime Minister Modi for not solving the problem but assured the people of Karnataka that his party will resolve the dispute if voted to power. He said “Modi declined to solve the problem as suggested by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But we will resolve the problem if voted back to power.”

Chidambaram claimed that the PM raking up National Herald case at a poll rally will have no impact on the polls in Karnataka. PM Modi had attacked Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi over National Herald case. He said all charges were bogus. Addressing a rally in Hubballi Modi had hit back at the Congress for targetting BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, saying the ‘mother and son who are out on bail’ and are facing allegations of involvement in a ‘Rs 5,000 crore scam’ are questioning the BJP.

“If he wants to level any charges, let him stand up in Parliament and make the charge and we will reply. It (a reference to National Herald case) will not have any impact on the electoral prospects of the Congress in the ensuing election,” Chidambaram challnged Modi.

Chidambaram said all charges against Gandhi’s are bogus but Modi wants to portray the issue as if they have committed a major crime. “It is a routine procedure that the court summons. You appear and the court grants bail,” he stated.

The Apex court on Tuesday told the Centre that it was in “sheer contempt” of its direction on Cauvery water sharing for failing to frame a scheme for distribution of water between Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Puducherry. The apex court, in February, had asked the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute.

“It (ToR) is RSS manifesto, which does not accept the federal structure, but wants a Hindu unitary nation,” he alleged on 15th finance commission.