Cauvery water sharing issue rocks Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Mar 7: The Cauvery water dispute rocked the Lok Sabha today as slogan shouting members from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka trooped into the well, forcing a 25-minute adjournment and interventions by three Ministers, Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, T R Baalu and Dayanidhi Maran.

The adjournment, from 1320 hrs to 1345 hrs, came during a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.

Participating in the resumed discussion on the motion, Mr Ananth Kumar (BJP) sought the Centre's intervention on the issue as the Tribunal had, through its recommendations, handed out total ''injustice'' to Karnataka, particularly its farmers.

He said the Centre should refrain from notifying the recommendations in the gazette and wondered why Tamil Nadu MPs were shying away from a structured debate in Parliament on the issue.

The BJP leader also wanted a national water law to ensure equitable distribution of river waters among the riparian states.

Even as Mr Ananth Kumar was making his points, DMK and other members belonging to the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) from Tamil Nadu rushed to the well.

This prompted BJP members from Karnataka to step into the other side of the well and raise counter slogans.

Sensing the mood of the members, Deputy Speaker Charnjit Singh Atwal ajourned the House for 25 minutes.

The trouble continued even after the House had re-assembled as Mr Ananth Kumar persisted with the Cauvery issue, stating that the tribunal's recommendations were ''illusory and unimplementable.'' Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said the Centre understood the sentiments of the people in the two states and appealed to the members not to raise the dispute as Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was seized of the issue and was considering the possibility of allowing a debate.

Mr Dasmunsi said the Centre could not act arbitrarily and had to function according to provisions of the Constitution.

''We cannot make any comment at this stage,'' the Minister said.

Further, members should not raise anything which would undermine the status of the Speaker, he said.

Intervening, Shipping and Transport Minister T R Baalu said Karnataka had opposed even the setting up of the tribunal.

Another DMK Minister, Mr Dayanidhi Maran also sought to dispute the statement of Mr Ananth Kumar, remarking that ''this is not done.'' Unperturbed, Mr Ananth Kumar said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should call a meeting with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in a bid to resolve the issue through negotiations.

The next member, Mr E G Sugavanam (DMK) who took part in the debate on the motion, said the Centre should immediately notify the final award, provoking protests from BJP MPs from Karnataka.

Mr Sugavanam said the present agitation in Karnataka against the tribunal's award had threatened the safety of Tamils living in that state. The Centre should come forward to link at least the rivers in Southern India.

UNI

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