File photo of Jayalalithaa.
Continuing her tirade against BJP and its leader Narendra Modi, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa today slammed their approach over the Cauvery issue involving upper riparian state Karnataka as she criticised her Gujarat counterpart over his comments on the fishermen issue.
Referring to Modi's interview to a section of vernacular media, Jayalalithaa said he had proposed some sort of a framework between the two states besides interlinking of rivers as solution to the vexed issue.
"In Karnataka's history, Tamil Nadu has been invited for talks on Cauvery and has only been betrayed and DMK also continued with this hoodwinking of the people. Isn't it fair that water is released to Tamil Nadu based on the final award of the Cauvery Tribunal? Can BJP give an assurance on implementing the final award," she said.
Speaking at an election rally in support of her Central Chennai candidate S R Vijayakumar, she said instead of responding demand on implementation of the final award, Modi's proposal of some framework amounted to "diverting the issue."
The party was also non-committal on constituting the Cauvery Management Authority, she said.
While BJP was reiterating its commitment for river interlinking, will it also give guarantee for the Mahanadi- Godavari-Cauvery linking, she questioned.
"Tamil Nadu will not benefit from BJP on Cauvery issue and you should cast your votes to AIADMK, which is the only one committed in this matter," she told the voters.
Hitting back at Modi's criticism at his recent Kanyakumari rally that Centre and state government were involved in a blame game on the fishermen issue, Jayalalithaa pointed out that the same leader had at Ramanathapuram meeting blamed a 'weak' Central government for the harassment of fishermen from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
"Going by his own statements in Kanyakumari, can we assume that Gujarat fishermen were being arrested because of his clash with Sonia Gandhi" she asked making an obvious reference if the two leaders were also involved in a blame-game.
"Madam (Sonia Gandhi) blames Amma (J Jayalalithaa), Amma blames Madam. But fishermen are getting killed. Nobody is taking any interest about their plight," Modi had said in Kanyakumari recently.