Jaya rakes up Cauvery, methane issues, says DMK 'anti-farmers'

Hitting the campaign trail in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa alleged that "Karunanidhi and DMK had betrayed Tamil Nadu" ever since the Cauvery issue broke out in the 1960s.

Thanjavur (TN): In a scathing attack on DMK, AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday dubbed the Karunanidhi-led DMK as "anti-farmers" as she raked up Cauvery and methane exploration issues during an election rally here.

Hitting the campaign trail in this Cauvery Delta regional hub in Tamil Nadu, she alleged that "Karunanidhi and DMK had betrayed Tamil Nadu" ever since the Cauvery issue broke out in the 1960s.

Tracing the contentious row, she claimed that Karunanidhi had never disclosed details of his deliberations in 1968 with the then Karnataka chief minister.

"Karunanidhi betrayed Tamil Nadu by supporting Karnataka to build dams in 1970. He withdrew a plea in the Supreme Court in 1971 on the issue owing to selfishness for political reasons," she alleged.

Recounting the long litigious history of Cauvery dispute, right from setting up of the Cauvery Waters Disputes Tribunal and its interim order, she claimed that it was due to "efforts of her party".

"In 2007 the CWDT gave its final award. Karunanidhi who was in power in the state and the Centre did not take any efforts to implement it."

She alleged that Karunanidhi "sacrificed the welfare of delta farmers for his selfish interests in getting plump Union Ministerial berths."

Jayalalithaa said that it was only due to "her legal efforts" by a plea in the Supreme Court that the final award was published in the Central gazette in 2013.

"Still the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee has not been constituted by either the previous Congress regime or the present BJP government," she said, adding, her government has moved court, seeking setting up of these bodies.

Assuring farmers, she said "steps will be taken to constitute the CMB and the CWRC by an order of the Supreme Court to implement the final award."

She lambasted DMK for giving its nod for the coal bed methane exploration project in the delta districts of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur and said her regime had banned the project.

"After doing everything against farmers in the methane project, DMK now says in its manifesto that it will stop that project besides Shale gas initiatives. Is it to hoodwink the people," she asked.

She reiterated her party's promises for welfare of farmers like loan waiver for micro and small farmers.