AIADMK for No-trust Move Against Centre: Thambidurai     

Chennai: In what appears to be a bid to shift the political onus on DMK on the Cauvery issue, senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai today said his party would consider moving a no-trust motion in Parliament against the NDA government if Congress supported it. "Stalin says AIADMK should bring a no-trust motion (on Cauvery issue). We are ready to bring it," he told reporters at the airport.

In the same breath, the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker said Congress support was needed to facilitate such an initiative. "Let Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi issue a statement (indicating support), they (DMK) are in alliance with them (Congress)... only if they (Congress) support, we will get the (requisite) numbers," he said.

Seeking to make his party's position clear,Thambidruai, a senior AIADMK leader from Western Tamil Nadu, said such a no-trust move would however be only for the Cauvery issue. "Only on the Cauvery issue... not for any other general issue. To urge constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, and since the Centre has failed to do that, we will consider that if other parties like Congress support it." Thambidurai said Tamil Nadu's demand seeking setting up of Cauvery Management Board should become a "people's movement" in the state just like the popular stir seeking nod for the bull taming sport of Jallikattu of last year.

"To solve the Cauvery issue, this should become a people's movement transcending party barriers," he said adding through such a transformation, the Centre could be persuaded to set up the CMB. Protest does not mean disturbance to the law and order, but people's support for the cause, he said to a question. The hunger strike demonstration announced by AIADMK on April 3 would help take forward such a goal for the people's movement, he said and added that people were already coming forward with their support in this regard.

Thambidurai's assertion on the no trust move comes against the backdrop of Congress ruled Karnataka going to the polls next month, where Cauvery is an emotive issue like in Tamil Nadu. Days ago, Stalin had demanded that the ruling AIADMK support the no-trust move of the TDP to mount pressure on the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board. DMK, the prinicpal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, has been relentless in its attack on the ruling AIADMK over Cauvery.

The Stalin-led party said it would hold continuous protests like the one today at Valluvar Kottam here, till the CMB was constituted. With the support of its ally the Congress, and friendly parties, including CPI, CPI(M), DMK has also announced a state-wide shutdown on April 5. Farmers organisations and a traders body have given a bandh call on April 3 over the Cauvery issue and on the same day ruling AIADMK will hold hunger strike across Tamil Nadu. Barring Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, all other party leaders would participate, the AIADMK had said.

PTI