Chennai: Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore on Sunday said that Tamil Nadu's stance against Karnataka's Mekedatu dam is non-negotiable and urged the Union Government to firmly deny permission for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu reservoir project, asserting that any approval would severely harm the state's interests.
Addressing a press conference here, Tagore questioned the silence of regional leaders, including Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss and BJP leader Nainar Nagendran, over the Karnataka BJP unit opposing the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not grant clearance for the project under any circumstances, regardless of demands from leaders across party lines in Karnataka," he said, adding that Tamil Nadu must stand united and pursue legal remedies in the Supreme Court to secure its rightful water share.
Tagore also strongly condemned remarks by Nagenthran, characterising them as "third-rated" and unacceptable, and demanded an unconditional apology. He emphasised that political leaders must maintain decorum and respect toward women.
Taking a jibe at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, Nagenthran, at an event at the BJP state headquarters (Kamalalayam) on August 15, said: "When people search for a father in the House and cannot find him, they should ask the mother at home to know who the father is."
Reacting to PM Modi’s Independence Day address regarding "ideological Naxals," the Congress Lok Sabha member defended former Union Minister P Chidambaram's sarcastic response on social media.
Chidambaram posted on his official 'X' account that he is "proud to be a dimagi naxal!".
Tagore alleged that the Union Government tends to label anyone advocating for wealth redistribution and socialist welfare policies as Naxals.
He also dismissed the prime minister's announcement regarding AI training for one crore youth, calling it an unfulfilled claim amid rising unemployment among educated youth nationwide.
On the delay in the construction of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai, Tagore alleged that the Union Government has continually shifted goalposts despite funding assistance from Japan.
He stated that MPs from southern districts would continue raising the issue in Parliament until the facility is fully established.
Tagore also dismissed the rumours that DMK MP Kanimozhi's presence at the Lok Sabha Speaker’s customary end-of-session tea meeting was politically significant. He clarified that attending the meeting was a standard parliamentary courtesy.
"INDIA bloc parties chose to boycott the meeting specifically to register their protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s prolonged absence during the session," he added.
Tagore also lauded the TVK-led Tamil Nadu government's measures regarding women's safety and its crackdown on narcotics syndicates. He supported the state's efforts to plug revenue leakages in sectors like minerals and registration to overcome fiscal challenges and implement welfare schemes.
