TN Minister joins issue with Stalin for "old wine" jibe

Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday slammed DMK chief M K Stalin for mocking Chief Minister K Palaniswami's Delhi visit and said it was aimed at diverting attention.

Jayakumar, who is also a senior AIADMK leader, said Palaniswami in his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi days ago, had urged for a direction to Karnataka to not take up any construction activities in the Cauvery basin without the prior consent of Tamil Nadu.

Delving into a memorandum submitted by Palaniswami to Modi on June 15, he underscored that the Chief Minister had batted for linkage of Godavari and Cauvery rivers to bring water to Tamil Nadu and rejuvenation of the Cauvery river on the lines of "Namami Gangae" plan.

Stalin had alleged Sunday that Palaniswami pledged Tamil Nadu's rights in Delhi and returned empty handed to the State.

Listing out issues, including the Mekedatu dam row, the DMK chief had said the Chief Minister "missed the opportunity" to resolve such issues and people would not "forgive" him for that.

"Stalin's statement is condemnable," Jayakumar said, adding it was aimed at diverting people's attention from the Chief Minister's efforts aimed at welfare of the people, notably the poor and backward districts of Tamil Nadu.

In view of the Chief Minister's address at the NITI Aayog meet, his memorandum to the Prime Minister and meeting with Union Ministers, the Centre has assured expeditious consideration of State's proposals, Jayakumar said.

Palaniswami had called on Modi at his residence in the national capital and discussed state specific projects and later addressed the NITI Aayog meet.

While Stalin had dubbed the CM's memorandum submitted to Modi as "old wine in a new bottle," repeated over the past three years with "cuts and pastes," Jayakumar said he does not have the locus standi to talk about Palaniswami.

The Chief Minister has all along been tirelessly working for the people, he said.

The "Amma's government" has been implementing welfare projects for the people that could not be executed by Stalin when he was a Minister and city Mayor, he alleged.