NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
N Sathiya Moorthy in Chennai
Union Environment Minister and senior Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader T R Baalu on Wednesday rejected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's demand for all Union ministers from the state in the central government to quit to protest the Centre's 'partisan attitude' on the Cauvery waters issue.
"I will give her a fitting reply, if she talks to me," he said.
He also rejected the charge that central ministers from Tamil Nadu had not taken up the issue with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Only certain matters could be disclosed to the press," he said. "I am from the Cauvery delta and also a farmer. I know the plight of the farmers."
Baalu said the Karnataka government should abide by the Supreme Court order, and release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu.
He blamed Jayalalithaa for not taking up the issue with her Karnataka counterpart S M Krishna early on.
Baalu also said the linkage of all south Indian rivers was the only solution to the problem. "I will work for that," he added.
Complete Coverage of the Cauvery Row
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
