New Delhi: Calling Tamil Nadu a "water-
scarcity" state, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Sunday said the
Centre should "wake-up" and take responsible and pro-active
steps to solve water disputes the state has with Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka.
Karunanidhi, here on a two-day visit, said Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka have been in a denial mode to release
excess water to Tamil Nadu and unity between the states should
not be a "one-way traffic".
"Unity should not be a one-way traffic. It has to be
both ways. Tamil Nadu has all resources but it is a water-
scarcity state. Neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka don`t give excess water to us," he said after
inaugurating `Periyar Centre` in South Delhi.
"The Centre should at least wake up now and examine
these issues minutely and act in a responsible manner to solve
these problems. They should take steps quickly. I am saying
this is New Delhi, the country`s capital," he said.
Tamil Nadu is involved in water-related rows with
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
Both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have been denying
water, which is in excess in the two states, for a long time
and has made many people in Tamil Nadu suffer, he said.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister will meet Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi tomorrow.
Referring to Union Minister Farooq Abdullah`s speech
in which he asked Karunanidhi to come out of the state and
work for the entire country, the Chief Minister said he has
been doing whatever he can to the nation from "where I am
based. It is not necessary that one has to come here (national
politics) and work for the nation."
Heaping praises on Dravidian stalwart E V R Periyar,
Karunanidhi hoped that the Periyar Centre would educate people
in this part of the country about the revolutionary steps
Periyar had taken and his preachings.
He also announced a donation of Rs five lakh for the
Periyar Centre.
Calling Karunanidhi a "statesman", Abdullah had asked
him to come out of Tamil Nadu and work for the entire nation.
"There were many great leaders in this country like
Periyar. You are the only living leader of that dimension. A
person like you should come out of the state and work for the
nation. So that the entire country gets benefited from your
service," the New and Renewable Energy Minister said.
Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan and several others
also participated in the meeting.
PTI
