The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Krishna hails Tamil Nadu stand on Hogenakkal

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Krishna hails Tamil Nadu stand on Hogenakkal

Special Correspondent

‘Karunanidhi’s decision great gesture from elderly statesman’

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

With the press: The former Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna at a press conference in Bangalore on Saturday.

Bangalore: The senior Congress leader S.M. Krishna on Saturday welcomed the announcement made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi that the Hogenakkal drinking water project would be put on hold till an elected government was in place in Karnataka.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Krishna described Mr. Karunanidhi’s statement as a magnanimous gesture.

KPCC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders N. Dharam Singh, Siddaramaiah and C.K. Jaffer Sharief were present.

PTI reports:

‘Great gesture’

Thanking Mr. Karunanidhi for his decision to put the Hogenakkal project on hold, Mr. Krishna said it was a “great gesture from an elderly statesman”.

“An issue, which will have inter-State implications, has to be settled across the table through talks. Hence, the statement of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to put the project on hold is very welcome,” he said.

Speaking to CNN-IBN, Mr. Krishna said, “I expected this great gesture from an elderly statesman like Shri Karunanidhi. I just spoke to him, thanked him for the announcement that he has made. I think this will lay a solid foundation for a good-neighbourly relationship between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.”

Mr. Krishna also said he had no plans to seek legal intervention on the project. “There is no need for approaching the Supreme Court now, in the light of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi deciding to put the project on hold,” he told PTI here. He had earlier said that Karnataka would go to the apex court if necessary.

He, however, refused to react to Tamil superstar Rajnikanth’s reported remarks blaming him and other political leaders for the controversy. “I don’t want to comment. Rajnikanth has to do some introspection on his statement now.”

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