Karunanidhi denies using harsh language against Karnataka

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said that he had never used any harsh language against the people of Karnataka on the Hogenakkal water project issue as alleged by senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna.

New Delhi, Apr 3 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said that he had never used any harsh language against the people of Karnataka on the Hogenakkal water project issue as alleged by senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Karunanidhi denied using any harsh language either publicly or in the resolution passed unanimously in the Assembly on April 1 on the Hogenakkal issue.

Karunanidhi was responding to the reported remarks by Krishna in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Krishna had claimed that Karunanidhi's harsh language had provoked reactions in Karnataka, leading to unhealthy developments.

Recalling his statement, Karunanidhi said, ''I am of the view that we should not fight each other as we are brothers. Some anti-social elements will magnify this and cause conflagration. I have been keeping patience so that no room is given to such a situation.''

"As a person who has understood me fully well, I am quite sure, you will not believe or even imagine that such provocative words would have been uttered by me," he said.

Quoting media reports published on March 31, he said the Centre and Karnataka had cleared the scheme.

At this stage some politicians in that state were trying to sabotage the scheme to make political gains. You will agree with me that no one can misinterpret my words if one goes through my speech very carefully," he said.

"A Chief Minister of a state cannot keep quiet when in the neighbouring state buses from Tamil Nadu are burnt, Tamil cinema houses are ransacked, Tamil Sangam office at Bangalore is attacked and Tamils in that state are kept in constant fear," he said in the letter.

He expressed confidence that Dr. Singh and Sonia Gandhi "would appreciate the just cause for which Tamil Nadu has been fighting within in the democratic and constitutional frame work".

On Wednesday, Krishna and Union Shipping Minister T.R Baalu met Prime Minister Dr. Singh Separately to seek the Central Government's intervention on the issue.

Krishna urged the Prime Minister to convince the Tamil Nadu Government to postpone operationalisation of the project till after the election in Karnataka.

Baalu, on the other hand, said Karnataka should have no objection to the drinking water project that is coming up on Tamil Nadu's border with Karnataka.

He also claimed that the Centre had given a no-objection certificate to the project as far back as 1998, and described its obstruction by vested interests in Karnataka as deplorable.

ANI