Mekedatu dam will help TN farmers, says CM Kumaraswamy
Chennai, Dec 14: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Friday said the proposed Mekedatu dam across Cauvery would benefit farmers of Tamil Nadu as excess water can be stored during monsoon season for release whenever required by the lower riparian state.
Pitching for a dialogue to sort out differences over sharing of the inter-state river water and the proposed dam, being opposed by Tamil Nadu, he said the Centre had only given preliminary approval for the detailed project report and a final decision would be taken only in consultation with all stakeholders.
Talking to reporters at the airport here, Kumaraswamy said Karnataka wanted to build the dam at Mekedatu to avoid wastage of water during rainy season.
He said his state released more than 394 TMC water to Tamil Nadu this year, but 50 per cent of it went into the sea.
"We wanted to construct this storage reservoir so that we can store this water and whenever our Tamil Nadu farmers required, we can release it... we wanted to construct this reservoir in the interest of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka farmers", Kumaraswamy said.
His remarks come days after the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution unanimously urging the Centre to withdraw the permission given for the DPR for Mekedatu and not to allow Karnataka to build any new reservoir across Cauvery.
Kumaraswamy also said the Centre gave the nod for the DPR after looking into the views of every riparian state.
"That's all. Completely central government has not agreed. Without consulting the Tamil Nadu government, without taking their permission, Central government may not take a decision. It is only preliminary permission to go for DPR," he said.
He appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and opposition parties not to politicise the issue.
"We are like brothers. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are brothers and sisters. I request we can sit and share whatever problems are there. We can mutually come to one conclusion", he said noting that the Cauvery issue had been pending for over 125 years.
He said Karnataka would utilise the water for drinking purposes and not for irrigation purposes.
Tamil Nadu is opposing the project, saying it was in violation of the apex court order and would affect the farmers of the state.
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Kejriwal resorting to 'vendetta politics', says BJP after MP Sandeep Pathak booked
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Saturday accused Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal of vendetta politics after Punjab Police booked Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak, who recently defected to the BJP.
In an X post, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that Kejriwal is misusing the Punjab Police to settle political scores, and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has become a party to it.
"Two FIRs have been filed against Sandeep Pathak, who until recently was in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a Rajya Sabha MP and general secretary (organisation). What is baffling is the shameless, brazen vendetta politics being pursued by Arvind Kejriwal, with Bhagwant Mann complicit in it," Poonawalla said.
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"It is clear this has been done out of vendetta politics by Kejriwal, who is extremely vengeful and vindictive, and misuses the Punjab Police to pursue such political vendetta," he alleged.
Questioning the timing of the FIRs, Poonawalla said, "If these cases existed from the beginning, why were FIRs not filed earlier? If he was corrupt, why was he kept in the party for so long, especially when he was the general secretary (organisation)? Has any new material surfaced in the last few days, or has the alleged corruption occurred only now?"
He alleged that Kejriwal has an "old habit" of targeting political opponents and dissenters.
"We have seen how he has used the police against rivals, including Congress leaders. This is his old habit," Poonawalla said, referring to the withdrawal of Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh's security.
Poonawalla claimed that several leaders who had left AAP over the years, including Yogendra Yadav, Mayank Gandhi, Ashish Khetan, Ashutosh and Alka Lamba, were "hounded".
He accused the party of failing to introspect.
"Instead of introspecting on how they have changed -- from Anna to Lalu, from Lokpal to corruption -- they are indulging in vendetta politics, trying to victimise people using the strong arm of the law. This reflects an Emergency-like mindset and a dictatorial, Hitlerian mindset," he said.
According to sources, two FIRs have been lodged against Pathak under non-bailable sections.
No further details about the FIRs have been disclosed yet.
On April 24, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs quit, alleging that Arvind Kejriwal's party has strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
Of the seven MPs -- who were Pathak, Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- six were from Punjab.
Later, Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan officially accepted their merger with the BJP, reducing AAP's strength in the Upper House to three.
