TN govt playing politics of revenge, says Jayachandra

'Decision to challenge acquittal of Jayalalitha was taken as per SC order'

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra on Tuesday charged the Tamil Nadu government with indulging in politics of revenge.

Speaking to reporters after interacting with the Congress workers at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here, he said the Tamil Nadu government had been trying to make the Cauvery river contamination an issue. It has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) accusing Karnataka of contaminating Cauvery, he said.

He said the NGT had recently served a notice to the Karnataka government on the river contamination issue. The government will take an appropriate legal action. “Ever since Karnataka decided to challenge the acquittal of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha in the disproportionate assets case, Tamil Nadu appears to be unnecessarily taking up a fight with Karnataka. Appropriate legal steps will be taken in this regard,” he said.

He said Karnataka was neither interested in taking up a fight nor will it ever indulge in revenge politics with the neighbouring state.

The decision to challenge the acquittal of Jayalalitha was taken as per the Supreme Court order, he said.

Asked about Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Thangadagi’s statement on the contamination of Cauvery river, he merely said he was aware of the minister’s statement. Four southern states share Cauvery waters. All the four states have their own responsibility in sharing the river water. We (Karnataka government) are also committed to protecting the river, he added.

Session in Belagavi

The minister said a case pertaining to the dispute between the Karnataka and Maharashtra governments over the boundary near Belagavi was coming up in the Supreme Court in July.

Hence a section of legislators are demanding that the government hold the winter session of the legislature at the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi. The State Cabinet will take an appropriate decision in this regard at its next meeting, he said.

The government has, therefore, decided to reconstitute the Karnataka Maharashtra Border Dispute Special Legal Advisory Committee. Former chief justice of Karnataka High Court V S Malimath will head the panel, he said.