Cauvery: CM rebuffs Jaya's advice on moving SC

Chennai, Apr 14: Taking exception to AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa's criticisms against the Government for not having approached the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi today said her lack of knowledge about facts only showed that she was least concerned about the issue.

Reacting to the AIADMK supremo's statement in this regard, he cited Karnataka Water Resources Minister K S Eshwarappa's speech in the Legislative Council yesterday.

The Minister had said that besides filing an original suit and a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court, the Karnataka Government would file a petition before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, seeking clarifications on certain portions of the final award.

Mr Eshwarappa had also said the Tribunal had pronounced its verdict on the decades-long water row on February five and had allowed 90 days time for the States concerned to file appeal, the Chief Minister added.

Quoting from the speech of the Karnataka Minister that ''Tamil Nadu too has decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, seeking certain clarifications,'' Mr Karunanidhi said even the opponent Karnataka Government was aware of the Tamil Nadu Government's stand on the Cauvery issue.

''If Leader of the Opposition Jayalalithaa is not aware of facts, it only shows how much concern she has on the issue,'' he remarked.

Ms Jayalalithaa had yesterday criticised the Tamil Nadu Government for not bothering about reports that Karnataka was all set to approach the Supreme Court on the issue.

She had also expressed apprehension that if the DMK Government filed a review petition before the Tribunal, Karnataka would move the Supreme Court, seeking its intervenion and there was a possibility of the apex court restraining the Tribunal from hearing Tamil Nadu's review petition.

There was also a possibility that Karnataka might ask the Supreme Court to transfer the review petition for a joint hearing by it and till then, the review petition would be pending before the Tribunal, she said.

UNI