We will not yield an inch on Mullaperiyar issue: PWD minister

Chennai, Sep 2 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Duraimurugan today asserted in the Assembly that the state government would not yield ''even an inch'' on the Mullaperiyar issue as its stand was correct.

Responding to a calling attention motion raised by CPI floor leader V Sivapunniyam on the recent meeting of Kerala's all-party delegation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, he said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi would also meet Dr Singh in the matter and a decision would be taken soon.

He said certain political parties, newspapers and former and present Ministers of Kerala were sensationalising the Mullaperiyar matter by issuing various statements but the Tamil Nadu government did not want to respond to them as sensationalism was not an answer to the problem. ''As justice is on our side, we can achieve our goal by maintaining calm,'' he said.

Earlier, Mr Sivapunniyam said Kerala was attempting to deny Tamil Nadu its rights and urged the Government to pass an unanimous resolution in the Assembly to implement the Supreme Court order and send it to the Centre.

The Government should also initiate steps to take an all-party delegation from the state to Delhi to apprise the Prime Minister on the problem, he said.

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