PANJIM: Former chief minister Pratapsing Rane on Thursday denied the allegation that his government in the past had given NOCs to divert Mhadei water to Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Rane was referring to the statements made by Additional Solicitor General of India Atmaram Nadkarni that the former Congress chief ministers had given no objection letters to divert the water of Mhadei River to Maharashtra as well as Karnataka.
“I don’t know what has transpired that I am coming into the picture now. It is completely wrong, nothing has gone from me and some of those who are on the payments of the present government are trying to divert the issue of Mahadei. This is a mischievous statement to divert the issue,” Rane said while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Congress function
He further said that despite the matter pending before the tribunal Karnataka has violated all the norms and started building canals.
“Diverting water from Mahadei to Malprha is not correct when the matter is before the tribunal. There is no question of talking to such people who have violated the norms,” Rane said.
Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary Girish Chodankar said they cannot respond to the agenda set by BJP.
“We have our own agenda and react at our own terms not at the terms of BJP because every move of the BJP is to win the election. We the Congress party is not so desperate to do anything to win elections,” Chodankar said.
“It is the BJP that is fooling the people and now the people of our country have realised the agenda behind raging up the Mahadei issue just before the elections,” he said.
“We don’t want to fall into the trap of the BJP either by supporting or opposing their agenda and that the Congress will react at our own terms,” he said.
