Bengaluru: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said on Thursday that, the BJP leaders have been politicizing Cauvery water crisis by not cooperating with the state government.
Speaking to media persons here, Dinesh Gundu Rao condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being apathetic towards the Cauvery water crisis. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote five letters, two on the Mahadayi issue on April 26 and August 4, one on funds for MNREGA on August 24 and two on Cauvery issue on August 18 and September 9, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the latter has no courtesy even to acknowledge the letters, forget about finding solutions to the problems,’’ Dinesh Gundu Rao said.
Condemning the Prime Minister for not attending Karnataka’s problems, Rao recalled the Prime Minister’s irresponsible response when all-party delegation, including heads of some mutts in North Karnataka, met him in Delhi seeking his intervention. “Narendra Modi did not respond like a dignified and responsible Prime Minister. He reacted to the appeal made by the delegation like an ordinary politician,’’ Rao said.
Coming down heavily on state BJP leaders, including former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa and Jagadish Shettar, for issuing statements stating that the prime minister has no role to play in water disputes since the cases are pending in the Supreme Court, the KPCC working president advised the BJP leaders not to politicize Cauvery and Mahadayi issues for political benefits. “I want the state BJP leaders to work for the welfare of Karnataka state. I am of the opinion that Central Ministers representing Karnataka are interested to impress Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah,’’ he said.
He also said that Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has not responded to the phone call made by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “I think Goa Chief Minister and Central Ministers, including the Prime Minister, do not want to find a solution to Cauvery and Mahadayi problems since Congress is in power in Karnataka,’’ he said.
