Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured a delegation of DMK MPs that he would not allow any injustice to Tamil Nadu and would not take any decision that is detrimental to the State, DMK Parliamentary Party leader T. R. Baalu said.
Mr. Baalu and other DMK MPs met Mr. Modi on Tuesday morning and handed over a letter from DMK president M.K. Stalin expressing concern over Karnataka seeking clearance to build a dam at Mekedatu.
Following the meeting, Mr. Baalu said the DMK MPs also explained to the Prime Minister the State’s concerns, and their opposition to the construction of the dam as it goes against the Cauvery Tribunal’s final decision, apart from there being a civil suit pending in the Supreme Court.
“The Karnataka Chief Minister met Mr. Modi on September 18 and gave their representations for the construction of the dam. Despite that, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has not taken any steps either to meet the Prime Minister or write a letter that the dam should not be constructed. Our leader, Stalin, was very upset over the Chief Minister’s attitude and decided to take up the issue with the Prime Minister,” Mr. Baalu said.
The MP said Karnataka was trying to proceed with the construction of the dam against the Tribunal’s orders when the matter was sub-judice. “It is amusing, and Karnataka is making a mockery of the issue with their CM meeting the Prime Minister,” he added.
Mr. Baalu reiterated that when the MPs asked Mr. Modi as to what they should tell Mr. Stalin about the Centre’s stand on the matter, “Mr. Modi very clearly said that he will not do any injustice to the State of Tamil Nadu.”
Mr. Baalu also said that a number of dam projects were pending and once the DMK comes to power in Tamil Nadu after the upcoming elections, Mr. Stalin would ensure that agriculture and related problems are given priority, capacity of lakes are increased and water is made available to farmers.