New Delhi, Oct 07: CPI (M) today expressed serious concern over attempts to arouse "chauvinistic passions" of the people in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery dispute and asked the people of the two states to exercise restraint and not fall prey to "game plans of opportunistic forces". "Chauvinism is running deep in both the states and it is unfortunate that the state units of certain national political parties like BJP and Congress are taking conflicting opportunistic positions", a statement issued by CPI-M Polit Bureau said. As it should not be, the CPI-M said, certain sections in Tamil Nadu have raised the demand that power transmission to Karnataka should be stopped in retaliation.

"The stand taken by Karnataka government will have serious repercussions on the federal polity of our country. The Tamil Nadu government is also having an attitude of non-cooperation with the CRA", it said.

The party demanded that Karnataka government, instead, should comply with the directions of the apex court and CRA and the difficulties, if any, could be brought to the consideration of the CRA.
The CPI-M also took a dig at the hollowness of the claim of the Vajpayee government in 1998 that it had succeeded in resolving the dispute and asked the Centre to take immediate steps to defuse the crisis.

Bureau Report