Fix meeting with PM to discuss Cauvery, BJP tells Union ministers

Criticising the Union ministers from the State for not making any attempts to get Karnataka an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the Cauvery issue, BJP General Secretary and MP Ananth Kumar  has hoped the four ministers will make efforts in this direction at least now.

Addressing the party’s Bangalore district workers’ meeting in Bangalore on Monday, Kumar said that Union Ministers Mallikarjun Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, K H Muniyappa and Rahman Khan should endeavour towards getting Karnataka leaders an appointment with Singh, as the Cauvery issue was contentious.

He said that repeated attempts by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Karnataka MPs and JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda to meet Singh had failed, and it was crucial for the State leaders to make their version heard.

“Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha has written two letters to the Prime Minister asking him to notify the final order of the Cauvery tribunal, which is against the interests of Karnataka,” he said.

“It’s imperative for the prime minister to hear out Karnataka. It’s very surprising that the PMO is disallowing any meetings. I appeal to the four Central Ministers to get us an appointment, so that we can come back with an assurance from the Prime Minister that the final order of the Tribunal will not be notified,” he added.

Launching an attack against former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Kumar said that the principal opposition party to BJP is Congress, and that B S Yeddyurappa would fail to make an impact through his new party.

“No other party, no matter how much noise it makes can threaten the BJP. They are no
competition. It’s unfortunate that somebody who had served as the deputy chief minister and the chief minister has now turned his back against the very party and its leaders who made him what he was,” he remarked.

Kumar said that the Congress was bringing pressure on its ally leaders including Yeddyurappa, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati through the CBI.

“The Congress is busy creating B teams and C teams by blackmailing these leaders using the CBI. Yadav and Maya­wati haven’t raised their voices against FDI because of the CBI threat. If Congress is under the impression that it can control the BJP through these techniques then it is mistaken,” he said.

Atrocities on women

Kumar also demanded that the Centre convene a special session of the Parliament to debate on bringing in an amendment to the existing laws concerning atrocities against women, especially rape.

He said that the BJP favoured a stringent law giving death sentence to rapists.