CHENNAI: CPM State secretary P Shanmugam on Wednesday defended his party's stand on the proposed new Cauvery tribunal and accused the previous DMK government of failing to build political consensus before communicating its position to the Union government.
Responding to criticism in the DMK mouthpiece Murasoli, which carried a two-part series targeting him over his recent article explaining the Marxist party's decision to support the TVK government, Shanmugam, in a post on X, said the newspaper's latest editorial sought to portray criticism of the proposed tribunal as detrimental to Tamil Nadu's unity.
According to him, the editorial argued that opposing the formation of a new tribunal would weaken the State's unity and create an impression among the Karnataka and Union governments that Tamil Nadu was divided, thereby harming the State's interests. He alleged that Murasoli was attempting to place the entire blame on parties questioning the tribunal proposal.
Shanmugam, however, asked who was truly responsible for the present situation. On an issue as important as the Cauvery dispute, the government was duty-bound to convene an all-party meeting and evolve a common position, he said, noting that such consultations had been held even during previous DMK administrations.
He contended that the current controversy stemmed from the DMK government's decision to write to the Union government on March 4, 2026, proposing a new course of action without first consulting political parties. "Why was this not disclosed to the people at that time?" he asked.
Referring to the renewed controversy over the proposed Mekedatu dam project in Karnataka, Shanmugam said parties including the CPM had demanded that the State government convene an all-party meeting. Had such a meeting been held then, the present situation could have been avoided, he said.
"The initial mistake has led to the current predicament," he said, reiterating that broader political consultation was essential on issues affecting Tamil Nadu's rights over the Cauvery waters.