The Election Commission, unmindful of the law and order situation prevailing in Karnataka and in order to fulfil its constitutional obligation, has announced the dates of assembly elections in Karnataka for the 224 assembly seats. The event will take place over three phases, the first phase on May 10th, in 89 constituencies, the second phase on May 16th in 66 constituencies, and the third phase on May 22nd in the remaining 69 constituencies and the votes will be counted on the 25th of May, 2008.
The agitators in Karnataka have called for a statewide bandh in Karnataka on April 10th. In Tamil Nadu, the ‘Kolywood’ goes for ‘Fast’ on Friday, April 4th, responding to which the Karnataka Film Industry also goes for ‘Fast’ on the same day, the last one being to emphasis their demand of scrapping the Hogenakal drinking water project.The merchants associations in Tamil Nadu are resorting to one day bundh on 8 th,April, besides to go for a fast by their leaders on the same day.
In the meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, two restaurants run by Kannadigas, nearby the Chennai High Court, were ransacked and it is rather unfortunate and disturbing to hear that the vandalism has been indulged in by some lawyers and so far no arrests have been made.
Under the circumstances mentioned above, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has called upon the Central Government to interfere to resolve the issue.
Representing the Chief Minister, the Central Minister Mr.T.R.Balu has briefed the Prime Minister about the Hogenakal Drinking water project, which was already agreed to by the Karnataka Government in the year 1998 and the project was approved by the Central Government in the year 1999, so as to provide drinking water to two backward districts Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. The Minister also explained the situation prevailed in Tamil Nadu as well as in Karnataka and the unnecessary controversy racked up by the politicians in Karnataka.
The Karnataka Congress I leader, Mr.S.M.Krishna also called upon the Prime Minister and emphasized the point that Tamil Nadu should stall the Hogenakal Project till the Assembly elections are over in Karnataka and a new Chief Minister assumed office at the state, so that the project can be reviewed afreash.
It should be noted that both the leaders from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka met the Prime Minister separately and the Prime Minsiter Mr.Manmohan Singh is said to have advised both the parties to resolve their dispute through talks. It is an irony and rather unfortunate to note that instead of resolving the issue the Central Government sought to underplay its role by again rolling the ball towards the concerned states. Though we need not doubt the integrity of our Prime Minister, we should not forget that he is also a politician of a party which is making frantic attempts to capture power in Karnataka under the leadership of S.M.Krishna. Also we do not know what transpired between the Prime Minister and S.M.Krishna, both being the persons of the same political party Congress I. The idea given by the Prime Minister to go for talks itself is to purchase time and thereby endorsing the view of S.M.Krishna, to wait until the assembly elections are over in Karnataka. Therefore, the view expressed by some of the political parties in Tamil Nadu that Congress I is playing a double game in the Hogenakal issue is not without substance.
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