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It is a victory of the people: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday described the outcome of the latest round of Cauvery water talks as a ''major breakthrough'', and a victory for the people of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Karunanidhi said he had tried to accommodate the viewpoints of all Tamil parties while discussing the issue with the chief ministers of Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry.

Asked whether he expected All India Anna DMK chief Jayalalitha to accept the outcome of the talks, he said: ''We do not know what her personal view is. I have tried to accommodate all their (opposition) views.''

He dismissed the allegation that an agreement had been reached to please Jayalalitha.

Karunanidhi also rejected that the outcome marked a climbdown by any state. ''It is a victory for the people,'' he said.

The Tamil Nadu chief minister said the drafting committee would finalise its report by Friday night or, at the latest, Saturday.

The decision on issuing a notification on the matter would be taken by the Centre which would also convey the agreement to the Supreme Court, he said.

He expressed happiness that the Cauvery Water Tribunal was constituted during V P Singh's tenure as prime minister, its interim award announced when I K Gujral was in power and the agreement on it reached under the leadership of A B Vajpayee -- on all occasions he was the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Karunanidhi thanked Vajpayee and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh for facilitating the agreement.

UNI

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