Karuna joins issue with Jaya on Hogenakkal project

Chennai, May 31: Joining issue with his arch rival and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa over the Hogenakkal drinking water scheme, DMK president M karunanidhi on May 30 said he had announced putting on hold the project in 2008 as there was no elected government in Karnataka and in view of the law and order situation.

When the foundation stone for the project was laid in 2008 by him as Chief Minister then, there was no elected government in Karnataka and there had been sporadic protests against the project including from the BJP.

"Tamils were attacked and their shops damaged. Buses were torched and theatres screening Tamil films were targeted," he said in a letter to partymen.

This could snowball into a law and order situation in either of the states besides threatening tamils living there, he said adding since a few days were left for a new government to assume office, he had decided to 'stay calm.'

Had such a step been not taken, it would have affected the Tamils in Karnataka, he said. Jayalalithaa on Wednesday had slammed the DMK chief for putting on hold the project for a while in 2008, and said that the expected level of works were not completed in 2011 when her party formed government.

On her contention that she was not allowed to raise the issue in the state Assembly then, Karunanidhi said that AIADMK was informed that government would reply on the matter after the Question Hour but they did not wait for that.

They had not moved any special call attention or sought explanation other relevant Assembly procedures, he claimed.

PTI