TN Minister KA Sengottaiyan defends CM Vijay's Karnataka visit, cites precedents

COIMBATORE: Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KA Sengottaiyan on Sunday asserted that Karnataka would not be able to lay even a single brick for the proposed Mekedatu dam project as long as C Joseph Vijay remained the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters in Erode, Sengottaiyan said it had been the practice for representatives of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to visit Karnataka with official letters whenever the Cauvery water dispute arose. "During the tenure of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, O Panneerselvam and CVe Shanmugam visited Karnataka on her behalf. During the DMK regime, Duraimurugan represented the State. It was only after such efforts that the matter was taken to the courts," he said.

The minister said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay was now taking up the responsibility of representing Tamil Nadu's interests in the Cauvery issue and there was nothing wrong in it.

Referring to the State's political scenario, Sengottaiyan said people had sought a change and supported TVK, leading to the formation of its government.

In an indirect reference to AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, he said, "One person is still dreaming that he too can become Chief Minister. Everyone from the AIADMK has joined us."

Sengottaiyan also claimed that the TVK would have won all 234 Assembly constituencies if the film Jana Nayagan had been released before the elections. He further said that 18 per cent of the population in Erode district was affected by cancer and announced that steps were being taken to establish a hospital in Erode to provide specialised treatment.