TN minister Nirmalkumar slams Dk Shivakumar’s attempt to conduct bhoomi puja for the Mekedatu project

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu energy and law minister R Nirmalkumar on Friday condemned Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar’s attempt to conduct bhoomi puja for a dam across the Cauvery river in Mekedatu. He also slammed Shivakumar’s remarks on the Mekedatu dam issue. Nirmalkumar cautioned Shivakumar against stoking controversies for political mileage over the inter-state water dispute. Terming the remarks unwarranted, the minister warned that such rhetoric would only lead to unnecessary law-and-order problems and severely affect the livelihoods of people in both neighbouring states.

"We strongly condemn the Karnataka deputy CM for acting against the rules and violating the existing legal framework governing inter-state water issues. DK Shivakumar has been doing this purely for political reasons, and we strongly condemn such an irresponsible act," Nirmalkumar said, urging the neighbouring state's leadership to refrain from triggering fresh tensions.

Emphasizing that all actions must be taken through proper legal provisions, the minister pointed out that Karnataka had only been asked to submit a detailed project report.

"In the meantime, they attempted to conduct a bhoomi puja for the Mekedatu project, which triggered an unwanted situation. Karnataka must respect inter-state policies, as well as the directions of the Supreme Court and the tribunal," Nirmalkumar said, adding that Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay would never allow the upper riparian state to unilaterally go ahead with its project plan.

He said the Tamil Nadu govt would take all necessary legal recourse to safeguard the state's rights in the Cauvery water dispute, noting that the state had already approached the tribunal against Karnataka’s recent moves over the Mekedatu row.

The minister spoke about the long-standing plea for parole for Muslim convicts serving long prison terms. "We are currently taking measures to grant them parole. The next step will focus on providing them permanent relief. We are actively working on this within the existing legal framework," he said.

Nirmalkumar noted that the govt was on the verge of establishing a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) to handle crimes against women and children. The primary objective of this initiative was to ensure speedy trials and secure swift justice for victims, he added.