Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said here on Tuesday that his party --Bharatiya Janata Party --was opposed to the Mekedatu dam project the Karnataka Government planned to build across River Cauvery.
He, however, pointed out that the permission granted to Karnataka was only to study the feasibility for a dam. A report on the feasibility will not spell any threat to Tamil Nadu. No project that would harm Tamil Nadu would be allowed, he told reporters.
On charges of meagre allocation of funds for Cyclone Gaja-hit delta and coastal districts, he said the central committee that studied the damages was yet to submit its report.
As an interim relief, the Centre had made some allocation. Instead of concluding that the Centre was Tamil Nadu, it would be wise to wait for the committee report and the subsequent allocation.
Reacting to Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Mr. Vaiko’s statement that there would be protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu, Mr. Radhakrishnan sought to tell Mr. Vaiko that there was no need to hurt someone in order to satisfy someone else.
The Prime Minister would make an extensive tour of the State to provide good schemes to the people. “We are ready to face any kind of agitation”, he said, and described Mr. Vaiko’s speech and action as a desperate act to remain an ally of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Mr. Radhakrishnan welcomed The Hindu Group Chairman N. Ram’s statement that the detention of journalists and French nationals should be inquired into in detail.