Chennai: TNCC and the BJP state units were locked in a war of words on Wednesday over Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam, with the exchange extending to Centre-state relations, federalism and corruption.TNCC president P Manickam Tagore accused the BJP-led Union govt of fuelling confrontation between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka instead of resolving the Cauvery dispute. “BJP is staging a political drama and creating hostility between the two states rather than working towards an amicable solution,” he said.Tagore challenged BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran to obtain an assurance from the BJP’s Karnataka leadership that the state would not proceed with the multi-crore dam project. He alleged that although judicial rulings required Tamil Nadu’s consent for any new dam across the Cauvery, Union govt had allowed Karnataka to prepare a detailed project report. He said the TNCC would make “any sacrifice” to prevent the dam from being built.Nagenthran rejected the charges and accused the Congress of double standards, saying it was opposing the project in Tamil Nadu while failing to restrain its Karnataka unit. He said the Congress had forfeited its moral right to speak about protecting Tamil Nadu’s interests, citing the Katchatheevu agreement, repeated dismissal of elected state govts under Article 356 during Congress rule and the Emergency as examples of the party’s record on federalism.Tagore also accused the BJP of lacking credibility on corruption. Nagenthran countered that the Ayodhya Ram temple donation case was under investigation and referred to the National Herald case and several alleged scams during previous Congress govts, saying the Congress had no moral authority to level corruption charges.
