Amid an ongoing tug-of-war between the DMK regime and Governor RN Ravi, the Tamil Nadu BJP strongly criticised the ruling party for attempting to "set a wrong precedent" by dragging Raj Bhavan into everyday state issues.
"If the Governor started to answer all the questions, where it would end," Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai asked when reporters drew his attention to a specific issue.
The question posed was related to recent wall posters put up asking if 'Guindy' was prepared to answer queries following Minister V Senthil Balaji's dismissal from the TN Cabinet, which was put on hold later. Downtown Guindy is an indirect reference to Raj Bhavan as it is situated there. The posters also claimed that other persons who had cases pending against them were continuing as Union Ministers.
"Will the TN government accept if the Governor is to hold press conferences daily and comment on all TN issues? They will not accept it. A Governor is not a politician," Annamalai said.
The TN BJP chief said if the DMK wished that the Governor answer questions on every issue, the BJP would write to him making a request to comment on issues.
"Is the DMK ready for that? Posters are pasted by the DMK asking the Governor to answer." Governor should not speak to the press/media or "it will go wrong", he said, hitting out at the ruling DMK for dragging the Governor towards "setting a wrong precedent".
Asked about the AIADMK's opposition to the Uniform Civil Code, he said that on several issues there was a divergence in their stands. For instance, the AIADMK was for a two-language formula while the BJP supported a three-language policy. Hence, there are differences.
He expressed confidence that there would be a change in the stand of those who oppose the code.
"Let us wait," he said, adding, "Working together is possible despite differences on issues such as on NEET." He said that all those who oppose UCC should discuss and debate the matter, and asserted that UCC was for "uniting" the people. "When the discussion paper, draft on UCC gets released and when more discussions happen, everyone will know that the code is good for Muslims, Muslim women, and Christians as well. UCC is not going to be against anyone." On the Mekedatu dam row, Annamalai said it has been made clear by the Centre in Parliament that an upper riparian state — Karnataka– cannot build a dam without the concurrence of lower riparian states including Tamil Nadu. The issue, hence, is related to the Karnataka Assembly and the ruling Congress party, he added.
Stalin should facilitate a meeting of all 39 Tamil Nadu MPs with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to help prevent the dam construction, he said.
Karnataka has said that there would be no Cauvery water given to Tamil Nadu this year. If this is the case, what would happen to the standing crops in the Cauvery delta region in Tamil Nadu, he asked.
He also demanded to know what the Tamil Nadu government would do if only a low volume of Cauvery water is given to the state. "The DMK regime is enacting a drama on the issue," he alleged.
"The BJP is clear that Tamil Nadu should get Cauvery water and Mekedatu dam must not be built." The matter should be taken up with the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the TN BJP will extend its support, he said.
Batting for site inspections and other steps, he said Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar has no authority to claim that water would not be released to Tamil Nadu. "Why TN Chief Minister M K Stalin, Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, or the TN Congress Committee leaders have not condemned this (stand of Shivakumar)?" Annamalai dismissed Duraimurugan's July 5 Delhi visit and press conference in connection with the Cauvery water issue as one without any substance.
The DMK is in alliance with the Congress, he reiterated and wondered if "negotiations" were on between the two parties vis-a-vis giving up the "rights of TN farmers" for the sake of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He reiterated that a black flag demonstration would be held by BJP against Stalin when he returned from Bengaluru after participating in the proposed meeting of Opposition parties (17-18 July) in Karnataka. The BJP would never accept "pledging" the welfare of farmers and Tamil Nadu for political mileage, he claimed.
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