We will urge Karnataka, TN to talk on Mekedatu: BJP Gen Secy

Efforts would be made by the Centre to convince Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments to engage in a consultation process over the Mekedatu dam issue, a senior central BJP leader said here today.
"We will convince the governments of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to engage in a consultation process on the issue," BJP National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao told reporters here to a question on Karnataka's proposal to build a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu and opposition to it by Tamil Nadu.
"Consensus building is very important and depriving one state in a perpetual manner is not acceptable in a federal structure and this line has already been taken by the State unit (TN) and conveyed to the Central (BJP) leadership," he said.

BJP's view assumes significance as it comes days after announcement by Karnataka that an all-party delegation will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 30 to press its case for building a dam at Mekedatu.
Stressing that Mekadatu project had not been cleared by the Central government, Rao said the concern and anxiety in Tamil Nadu was understandable.
"Karnataka has to be a responsible player and the Centre has a role of facilitation and impressing both governments and definitely our leadership in government at the Centre will play that role," he said.

On contradictory views on the issue by BJP in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, he said, "BJP will take a transparent and open line, we should not add fire... We are a national party and both the state governments are run by different parties and that too not friendly parties."

Answering another question, he said the issue concerned delta farmers and their "concerns are real and we are duty bound to address it."
To a query on the killing of 20 woodcutters from Tamil Nadu in firing by Andhra Pradesh police on April 7, he said, "Accountability is important and hence Andhra Pradesh government has to come clean and clear and security agencies must be more responsible.