A discussion on the Cauvery water dispute in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Wednesday escalated into a heated exchange between ministers and DMK members, with sharp remarks over the handling of the issue and conduct inside the House.
DMK member Durai Chandrasekaran said farmers had been forced to drop kuruvai cultivation due to lack of water, and alleged the government was being “soft” on the Cauvery issue. He urged the government to take decisions without fear of national parties.
Minister Anand responded that the government’s aim was to find a solution and said the Chief Minister would not be afraid of anyone. He also asserted that the Karnataka government could not place even a stone in the Cauvery.
AIADMK leader Palanisamy said both AIADMK and DMK had fought on the issue and that a final verdict had already been delivered, but claimed the current problem was Karnataka’s attempt to build a dam.
Minister Nirmalkumar countered by questioning why a case filed in 1970 was withdrawn and why a 1974 agreement was not renewed, and called for the opposition’s behaviour to be shown on live telecast. Minister Rajmohan alleged opposition members used abusive language and even tried to rush at them, seeking action. DMK’s K.N. Nehru accused Nirmalkumar of provoking the House, while Nirmalkumar maintained he was only referring to the Cauvery debate and reiterated his allegation that a case was withdrawn in support of the Centre, leading to decades of struggle.
