Date:03/10/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/10/03/stories/2002100304940101.htm

Front Page

PM, Sethi failed to maintain neutrality: T.N.

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI OCT. 2. The Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works, O. Paneerselvam, today accused the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Union Water Resources Minister, Arjun Charan Sethi, of having ``failed to maintain neutrality'' in the Cauvery dispute.

In a statement, he said the two had ``blatantly sided with Karnataka'' which was ``highly unbecoming behaviour on the part of those holding such high positions in the Government of India.''

Defending the stand taken by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, on the issue, Mr. Paneerselvam said her walkout from the meeting of the Cauvery River Authority was necessitated by the ``totally unreasonable stand'' adopted by the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna. The Prime Minister had remained a ``mute spectator just observing everything silently without attempting to render justice.''

Walking out of a meeting was a ``well-established democratic practice which has been resorted to by all political leaders of all hues at some stage in their career,'' he added.