Karunanidhi wants PM to bring end to dispute

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi yesterday condemned Monday's violent protests in Karnataka against a water supply project and called for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention in the month-long dispute between the two states.

"Karnataka has already impeded our share of Cauvery waters reaching the delta region in (eastern) Tamil Nadu. Now the situation has worsened. They are now attempting to stop the Hogenakkal Joint Drinking Water Scheme sans humanitarian considerations," an angry Karunanidhi said in the state assembly.

"Further, several Tamil establishments including cinemas have been attacked in Bangalore. I have decided not to visit the neighbouring state till our people's honour and safety are assured," he said.

"We will request Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to restore parity in this matter," he said.

Pro-Kannada activists in Bangalore had on Monday attacked cinema halls screening Tamil films in protest against Tamil Nadu's decision to go ahead with the water supply project at Hogenakkal.

Adjournment motion

Karnataka says the Hogenekkal Falls, where the state's major river Cauvery enters Tamil Nadu, belongs to it and the proposed project will hurt its interests.

Tamil Nadu Speaker R. Auvudaiyappan allowed an adjournment motion to be moved to express the state's protest in the assembly. Following this, leaders, cutting across party lines, unanimously condemned the incidents in Karnataka.

A resolution to this effect was subsequently passed by voice vote.