CMB: CM rules out MPs’ resignation

“Members of Parliament from the state are fighting in the House for formation of the CMB and Cauvery Regulation Committee within six weeks. Still, their resignation is raked up by the opposition parties for political motives. When the issue was hard to solve with all MPs being intact in the Parliament, what will happen if they resign,” he told reporters at the Coimbatore airport. 

The Chief Minister was on his way to Salem to address a public meeting and participate in a slew of programmes. “When the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal gave its final award in 2007, the DMK was in power in the state and Centre, but it failed to find out a solution then and is now blaming the AIADMK,” he added. 

Further, Palaniswami said the apex court verdict on Cauvery issue was the result of a legal battle taken up by former chief minister J Jayalalithaa to uphold the rights of the state farmers. 

“Only the AIADMK took efforts in publishing Cauvery tribunal judgment in the gazette. Also Jayalalithaa met the then Prime Minister over the issue, but as it did not yield any solution, the government took legal recourse. Tamil Nadu will continue to stress the Centre for formation of the CMB and regulation committee,” he said.  

Stating that Tamil Nadu has clearly explained its stand in the recent meeting of Cauvery basin states convened by the Union Water Resources Ministry to constitute the board, the CM denied allegations that the government failed to argue the case properly in the court. 

On the issue of releasing seven Rajiv killers, in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying he and his sister have forgiven his father’s killers, the Chief Minister said that their release would be considered in accordance with legal framework. However, he refused to set any time frame for their release.