CM Bommai to convene all-party meet in Feb first week to discuss inter-state water disputes
Bengaluru, Jan 22: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said he would convene an all-party meeting in the first week of February to discuss inter-state water disputes.
The Chief Minister also said the government would fight the issue of interlinking of rivers politically and legally.
To a query on the Karnataka government's stand on the Hogenakkal Phase-2 project, allegedly proposed by the Tamil Nadu government, Bommai said, "Whether it be Hogenakkal or the interlinking of rivers, as a government we had faced such questions in the past. We have opposed the interlinking of rivers in the Supreme Court. We will fight it politically and legally."
Bommai's statement came a day after Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol said the Karnataka government will oppose the proposed water project at Hogenakkal at the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stating that the neighbouring state cannot take it up unilaterally.
Alleging that the details of the project have not been furnished before the tribunal and the Supreme court, the minister had said Tamil Nadu cannot take up this project unilaterally.
Tamil Nadu has voiced its opposition to the Rs 9,000 crore Mekedatu balancing reservoir project of the Karnataka government in Ramanagara district, which is aimed at meeting the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and neighbouring districts. Tamil Nadu contends that project would affect the interests of farmers in the lower riparian areas in its state. Instead, it had advocated a dam at Hogenakkal at the border of Chamrajanagar in Karnataka and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu.
"I will convene an all-party meeting in the first week of February which the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy, Water Resources Minister Govind Karjol and the floor leaders of various parties in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council will participate," Bommai told reporters after a virtual meeting with legal experts fighting the water dispute related cases in various courts.
The Chief Minister said he would brief everyone participating in the meeting about the legal battle fought so far, the status of the court cases, the legal position to be taken in the interest of the state and materialise various water projects.
"In the past too we have risen above political differences when it came to issues pertaining to the state's land and water. Since the cases are at the crucial stages, I have convened the meeting in the first week of February where we will discuss with the leaders of the opposition parties and legal experts on how to proceed further with these disputes and what should be our stand," Bommai said.
Bommai said he along with Govind Karjol had a detailed discussion with the legal experts, who represented the state in various courts, through video conference.
The discussions pertained to the projects related to the watershed regions of Krishna, Cauvery and Mahadayi river and the status of cases pending in various courts.
He added that he would again hold another video conference on water disputes by the end of January because the legal experts have said they have to make some more preparations.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
