Jayalalitha's demand: CM for restrained reaction

By Our Special Correspondent

DHARWAD, JUNE 6. The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, said on Wednesday that Karnataka need not ``overreact'' to reports that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha, had met the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, seeking the implementation of the interim orders of the Cauvery Tribunal. Addressing presspersons here, he said a new government had been formed in Tamil Nadu only recently and Ms. Jayalalitha had placed her views before Mr. Vajpayee. He would not be able to comment on the plea made by her unless he received a communication from the Prime Minister. Karnataka believed in restrained reaction to the developments, he added.

Asked whether the Tamil Nadu Government was trying to raise the Cauvery issue once again, Mr. Krishna said it appeared so going by newspaper reports. He added that the Prime Minister was well aware of the developments on the Cauvery front, since it was under his ``mahapourohitya'' (grand stewardship) that the issue was sought to be resolved.

On whether the developments would disturb the relations between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Mr. Krishna said Karnataka would not give any provocation to that State. On whether talks would be held between the two States to resolve the dispute over release of Cauvery waters, he remarked: ``It requires two hands to clap.''

Mr. Krishna ruled out the possibility of Karnataka writing to the Prime Minister in this connection. It was for the Prime Minister to send a communication, if need be, he said.

He was irked by a suggestion that he had adopted a ``soft attitude'' towards the neighbouring States. ``If we were `soft', Karnataka would have not have been able to build the Alamatti Dam,'' he said. Karnataka would be impounding water in the dam up to 519 metres this season, he added.

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Section  : Southern States
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