Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday stepped up pressure on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over the Cauvery water dispute, challenging him to answer questions raised by the Opposition and accusing the TVK government of failing to protect farmers’ interests.
Speaking to reporters after Agriculture Minister R. Vinoth presented the government’s first Agriculture Budget in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi said farmers had been among the worst affected during the three months since the new government assumed office.
He criticised the Agriculture Budget for failing to provide clear answers on crucial issues, including crop loan waiver and Cauvery water. He alleged that several announcements were merely renamed versions of schemes introduced by the previous DMK government.
Udhayanidhi said Vijay had promised during the election campaign to waive crop loans for farmers cultivating up to five acres, but claimed that the government had yet to announce concrete measures to fulfil the commitment.
On the Cauvery dispute, he said Karnataka had failed to release Tamil Nadu’s due share of water and had indicated that additional releases were not possible. He also referred to Vijay’s proposed visit to Karnataka for discussions, which was deferred following a request from the Karnataka Chief Minister.
The DMK had repeatedly demanded an all-party meeting to demonstrate Tamil Nadu’s united stand on the Cauvery issue, but the government had not responded, Udhayanidhi alleged.
He said the Opposition had written to the Assembly Speaker seeking permission to move an urgent resolution on Friday to discuss the problems faced by farmers.
Challenging Vijay to respond to the Opposition, Udhayanidhi said farmers and the people of Tamil Nadu were waiting for answers from the Chief Minister on the Cauvery dispute.
Explaining the DMK legislators’ decision to attend the Assembly wearing black shirts, Udhayanidhi said it was intended to express solidarity with farmers who had been protesting over their grievances during the past three months.
