Entire Tamil Nadu's welfare at stake; take all parties to meet: BJP to CM Vijay

CHENNAI: The state unit of the BJP on Thursday announced a statewide protest on August 1, Saturday, against Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project, describing it as a serious threat to the State's Cauvery water rights, and urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to lead an all-party delegation to Karnataka instead of taking up the issue independently.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party's state and district office-bearers chaired by BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran at the party headquarters, Kamalalayam, in T Nagar here. Briefing reporters after the meeting, former union minister Pon Radhakrishnan said the party had adopted three major resolutions.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu was yet to receive its due share of Cauvery water, Pon Radhakrishnan alleged that Karnataka was pursuing the Mekedatu project to further curtail downstream flows. "This is not an issue concerning a single political party or an individual. It concerns the rights of all eight crore people of Tamil Nadu," he said.

He urged the Chief Minister to consult leaders of all recognised political parties represented in the Assembly and jointly engage Karnataka on the issue. Radhakrishnan also alleged that the 1924 Cauvery agreement was not renewed in 1974 under the then DMK-Congress government and claimed the previous DMK regime had withdrawn legal proceedings related to the agreement. He further alleged that Karnataka had already constructed four dams in the Cauvery basin despite provisions of the pact.

The BJP also demanded a White Paper on properties belonging to temples administered by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, sought the retrieval of temple lands from private encroachers, and called for action against officials responsible for irregularities. Radhakrishnan said the party had formed a committee to examine alleged violations involving temple properties.

The party further condemned alleged crimes against women and rising custodial deaths, accused the State government of failing to fulfil its electoral promises, and reiterated that Karnataka should not proceed with the Mekedatu project without considering the views of lower riparian states.