The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Centre should reject demand for new tribunal'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 03, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Centre should reject demand for new tribunal'

CHENNAI, SEPT. 2. The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said the Centre should reject any request by the Karnataka Government to "reconstitute" the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

``The Centre should reject the demand as it will affect Tamil Nadu adversely,'' N. Varadarajan, State Secretary of the CPI(M), said in a statement. ``Karnataka's demand in this regard is unjustified and will put the dispute on the backburner,'' he said.

He demanded that the Centre take appropriate steps for getting the tribunal to announce its final award.

Plea to Karunanidhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit today said any move by Karnataka to delay the verdict of tribunal should not be allowed and asked Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief, M. Karunanidhi, to take up the issue with the Centre.

The BJP State unit President, C.P. Radhakrishnan, told presspersons here that any attempts by Karnataka to delay the tribunal's final verdict should not be permitted.

``We expect the Karnataka BJP unit to take a fair stand on the issue. We will certainly apprise our party high command,'' he said.

He said he also expected the DMK and other parties which are part of the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre to take up the issue.

Mr. Radhakrishnan condemned the comments by ``some parties'' in Karnataka that the tribunal should be reconstituted, and asked the Tamil Nadu Government to convene an all-party meeting on the issue.

`Don't delay award'

The Tamil Nadu unit of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said Karnataka's suggestion to reconstitute the tribunal should not be allowed, as it would delay the final award.

The CPI State Secretary, R. Nallakannu, told presspersons here that the Cauvery water issue had come up over 30 years ago. Now that a final order was close at hand, Karnataka should not be allowed to delay it.

`Accept verdict'

Speaking at a press conference at Cuddalore, the Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader, S. Ramadoss, criticised Karnataka for its demand for reconstitution of the tribunal.

He warned that Karnataka would be called an "antagonistic State" if it did not accept the verdict of the tribunal. He said all rivers should be nationalised, and the Union Government should take steps in that regard. — PTI, UNI

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