Mekedatu project: K'taka MPs stage protest in Parl

Karnataka MPs cutting across party lines on Thursday staged a protest infront of Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament complex seeking construction of the Mekedattu dam on the Cauvery.

To counter the protest by the Tamil Nadu parties, who have been opposing the project, MPs from Karnataka, including from the Congress, JD(S) and the BJP, came together and staged a protest.

Protesting MPs from the state shouted slogans like "We want Mekedattu project" and held up placards that read "Karnataka wants discussion not disruption", "Politics create problem, Mekedattu gives solution" and "We want Government of India to respect Supreme Court verdict".

Demanding the early execution of Mekedatu project, MPs from Karnataka staged a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex on Thursday.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs from all the parties held placards and demanded the Centre to grant permission for early implementation of these two projects.

The protest was organised to show the unity among all political parties in Karnataka in favour of both projects.

"Karnataka MPs were forced to stage a protest to counter the agitation being carried out by Tamil Nadu parties for last few days,” Chamrajanagar MP Dhruva Narayan told reporters.

Over a dozen MPs participated in the agitation, including Shobha Karandlaje, Prahlad Joshi and G M Siddeshwara from the BJP, Jairam Ramesh, D K Hariprasad, Rajeev Gowda, D K Suresh and from the Congress as well as JD(S)' Shivarame Gowda.

The two Tamil Nadu parties DMK and AIDMK's Parliamentarians have been protesting in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to voice their opposition to the Mekedattu project, for which the Centre has already given Karnataka clearance to prepare a detailed project report (DPR).

Karnataka proposed to build a balancing reservoir on Cauvery river at Mekedatu to store excess water generated in Cauvery basin to produce electricity and supply drinking water to towns in Ramnagar and Channapatna taluks. However, Tamil Nadu is opposing the project alleging that it would deny its share of water from Cauvery river.