Mekedatu project: Karnataka MPs protest inside Parliament complex
New Delhi, Dec 27 : Karnataka MPs cutting across party lines on Thursday staged a protest inside Parliament complex seeking construction of the Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery, an issue opposed by Tamil Nadu's DMK and AIADMK that have been disrupting proceedings in both Houses.
To counter the protest by the Tamil Nadu parties, MPs from Karnataka, including from the Congress and the BJP, came together and demonstrated in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex.
The two Tamil Nadu parties have been holding placards and protesting in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to voice their opposition to the Mekedattu project, for which the Centre has already given Karnataka clearance to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).
The parties have been stalling Parliament proceedings for more than a week, demanding justice for farmers who are expected to be affected by the proposed construction of Mekedattu dam. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday.
Outside, MPs from Karnataka shouted slogans like "We want Mekedattu project" and held up placards that read "Karnataka wants discussion not disruption", "Politics create problem, Mekedattu gives solution" and "We want Government of India to respect Supreme Court verdict".
Over a dozen MPs participated in the agitation, including Shobha Karandlaje, Prahlad Joshi and G M Siddeshwara from the BJP, Jairam Ramesh, D K Hariprasad, Rajeev Gowda, D K Suresh and Dhruva Narayan from the Congress as well as JD(S)' Shivarame Gowda.
Union Ministers Sadananda Gowda, Nirmala Seetharaman, Ananth Kumar Hegde and Ramesh Jigajinagi were not present in the protest.
"Our Tamil Nadu friends should show some sympathy towards us. We are asking for surplus river water from Cauvery that gets wasted flowing into the sea. That water will be stored for the drinking water purpose only. It is Karnataka's legitimate demand," former prime minister and JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda told reporters after the protest.
Deve Gowda, who could not join the agitation due to a prior engagement, said Karnataka MPs were forced to stage a protest to counter the agitation being carried out by Tamil Nadu parties for last few days.
On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy discussed the Mekedattu project with Union Water Resources Miniser Nitin Gadkari, who assured him that a meeting of chief ministers of both the states to resolve the issue at the earliest would be called.
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MP cruise boat tragedy: Death toll rises to nine; search ops continue at Bargi Dam
Jabalpur (PTI): The death toll in the Bargi Dam tragedy rose to nine on Friday, as rescuers recovered the bodies of five more persons who were on the cruise boat that overturned in the reservoir in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
Talking to PTI Videos, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi said, "Four bodies were recovered on Thursday, while five were found in the early hours during the rescue operation, taking the toll to nine."
As many as 22 people have been rescued so far, he said.
The minister said that a thorough probe will be conducted, and the issue of life jackets, raised by one of the survivors, will also be investigated.
The rescue operation is underway in full swing to trace the missing persons, Lodhi said.
A cruise boat with 29 passengers and two crew members onboard overturned in the Bargi Dam after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday evening, officials said.
The Bargi Dam is constructed on the Narmada River in Jabalpur district.
A search and rescue operation for the missing passengers continued overnight with teams from the Army, NDRF and SDRF joining in, State PWD Minister Rakesh Singh said.
Hydraulic cranes are being used to pull out the cruise boat from the water body, he said.
According to eyewitnesses, strong winds made the water choppy, prompting many on board to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the boat back to the banks.
However, the crew was unable to hear these shouts, and the boat drifted and then overturned, they said, adding that some locals rescued a few passengers wearing life jackets with the help of a rope.
