Mullaperiyar row: Chandy slams Chidambaram for comment over dam

Thiruvananthapuram: As a major controversy continues to rage over the Mullaperiyar dam, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has become the latest to be dragged into the politically-charged issue. The minister has come under attack from Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy after he said that the state was voicing "unnecessary fear" over the dam with an eye on an upcoming assembly by-poll. This comment immediately invited strong criticism from the Chief Minister who has said that he would complain to the Congress High Command over Mr Chidambaram's statement.

"A Union Minister like Chidambaram should not have made such a statement. We view this very seriously. We will inform the Congress High Command about this", Mr Chandy said on Saturday.

In fact, his government was joined by the opposition, the Left Democratic Front (LDF), in condemning Mr Chidambaram's statement.

Former chief minister and CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan wanted Mr Chidambaram to be removed from the cabinet as his statement not only "violated the Constitution" but also amounted to creating tension among the people of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

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The Home Minister had, terming Kerala's apprehensions over the safety of the dam as unnecessary said, "It is not even a temporary or a permanent fear. It is only a by-poll fear," he had said, apparently referring to the upcoming assembly by-poll to Piravom constituency in Kerala.

The latest controversy came on a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during his return from Moscow, said that the Chief Ministers of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu would have to find a middle path to end the row.

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"Trying to get both sides to talk but have not succeeded so far...but I am sure, the two chief ministers and officials will sit down and talk", the PM had said.

So far, there has been no solution in sight with both the states toughening their stance by the day. Kerala has expressed fears over the safety of the dam and has called for the construction of a new dam citing issues of the structure being located in a quake-prone zone. Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, has dismissed these concerns, accusing its neighbour of indulging in fear-mongering.