Chennai: Leader of opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and We The Leaders movement founder K Annamalai on Tuesday expressed concern over Centre’s response on the Mekedatu issue that Karnataka need not obtain the consent of lower riparian states to construct the Mekedatu dam.Udhayanidhi accused chief minister C Joseph Vijay of being soft on the issue. “The chief minister has mortgaged the rights of the state by not antagonising his Delhi bosses (BJP leadership) and his alliance partner Congress to safeguard his govt,” Udhayanidhi said. He said Vijay chose not to listen to his suggestions on the Mekedatu issue due to fear of losing revenue from Jana Nayagan movie in Karnataka.In an apparent shift in his approach, Palaniswami condemned the Union govt despite the AIADMK’s allyship with BJP. He said people of TN were ‘shocked’ at Union minister’s statement.“While providing a response to such questions, the Union govt should ensure that the sentiments of the people of the states concerned are not affected,” Palaniswami said. He said the Supreme Court in its judgement (page No. 342) made it clear that Karnataka can’t construct the dam without the support of lower riparian states.Anbumani Ramadoss warned that a major conspiracy is woven against the state over the Mekedatu dam issue. “Union govt misinterpreted the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgement by selectively quoting it to create an impression that Tamil Nadu has no say on the project. The agreements between Madras and Mysore govts in 1892 and 1924, which require prior consent for new reservoirs, remain valid and were upheld by the Supreme Court,” Anbumani said.Annamalai said the BJP govt in 2021, former Union minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in Parliament that permission granted to Karnataka to prepare a DPR for Mekedatu was only conditional, and that according to the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, it was mandatory to obtain permission from all the lower riparian states (in this case, Tamil Nadu) for the construction of a dam. ‘’Why is the Union govt now suddenly making a U-turn on the position it had already taken?” Annamalai asked.However, TN BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said there was no U-turn. “CWMA, with representatives of all stakeholder states, will not allow any project that adversely affects the water share or rights of lower riparian states,’’ Narayanan Thirupathy said.
