Chennai: Condemning Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar over his recent remarks on the Mekedatu dam issue, Tamil Nadu energy and law minister R Nirmalkumar cautioned him against “stoking controversies for political mileage” over the interstate water dispute. Terming the remarks unwarranted, the minister warned that such rhetoric would only lead to unnecessary law-and-order problems and severely affect the livelihoods of people in both states.“We strongly condemn Shivakumar for acting against rules and violating the existing legal framework governing interstate water issues. He has been doing this purely for political reasons,” Nirmalkumar said. Emphasising that all steps on the dam issue must be taken through legal route, the minister said Karnataka was asked only to submit a detailed project report.“In the meantime, they attempted to conduct a bhoomi pooja for the Mekedatu project. Karnataka must respect interstate policies, as well as directions of Supreme Court and the tribunal,” Nirmalkumar said, adding that chief minister C Joseph Vijay would never allow the upper riparian state to unilaterally go ahead with its project plan.He said Tamil Nadu govt would take legal recourse to safeguard the state’s rights, and that the state already approached the tribunal against Karnataka’s recent moves.Moving to other administrative matters, the minister addressed the long-standing plea for parole for Muslim convicts serving long prison terms.“We are currently taking measures to grant them parole. The next step will focus on providing them permanent relief. We are actively working on this within the existing legal framework,” he said.Nirmalkumar noted that govt was on the verge of establishing a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) to handle crimes against women and children. The primary objective of this initiative, he said, was to ensure speedy trials and secure swift justice for victims.
