AIADMK MP backtracks from his decision to resign over Cauvery issue, says EPS 'asked me to wait'

In a dramatic u-turn, AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP S Muthukaruppan on Monday backtracked from his decision to resign his MP post within hours after reading out his resignation letter addressed to RS chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu protesting against the centre for not forming the Cauvery Management Board as per the Supreme Court order. 

"Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami called over the phone and asked me not to resign. He has asked me to wait for the outcome of the contempt petition moved by the state government against the Centre for failing to implement the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee in the Supreme Court," Muthukaruppan told reporters in New Delhi. 

On Monday morning, Muthukaruppan who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2014 reiterated his decision to resign his MP post in protest against the centre's refusal to form the CMB and the CWRC within six weeks deadline set by the Supreme Court order on February 16. Reading out his two-page resignation letter written in Tamil, he said that despite the Supreme Court order directing the centre to form the board, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led central government delaying its formation and this pained him a lot. 

Despite the pressure exerted by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy and deputy CM O Panneerselvam to the centre and the continuous protests by the AIADMK MPs in the Parliament, the centre continued to delay the formation of the CMB and the CWRC and it is causing severe mental agony to him, he wrote in his resignation letter to be submitted to Venkataiah Naidu. He said that he is resigning his MP post even though his term ends only in 2020. 

AIADMK MP claimed that he did not even pick the call from Chief Minister Palaniswami as he was firm on his decision to resign. "If I attend the phone call, he will convince me to not to resign," he told reporters. 

Earlier, AIADMK MP claimed that he did not even pick the call from Chief Minister Palaniswami as he was firm on his decision to resign. "If I attend the phone call, he will convince me to not to resign," he told reporters.   

Loksabha Deputy Speaker and AIADMK MP M Thambidurai who led his party MPs protest in the Parliament for the 18th day on Monday refused to comment on Muthukaruppan's decision to resign saying that it was his individual decision. "People voted us to represent them in the Parliament for five years. If we resign, it will mean that we are running away from our duty. When DMK leader MK Stalin sought the MPs resignation in protest against the centre, we made it clear that it is not the solution. We feel that the resignation is not the solution to the issue. We are protesting in the Parliament and we will continue to protest until the centre concedes our demand to form the CMB," he told reporters outside the Parliament. 

Last week, AIADMK MP Navaneethakrishnan caused ripples in the Rajya Sabha by announcing that he was ready to commit suicide if the CMB was not formed in time. 

Muthukaruppan on Saturday said that Amma (late chief minister J Jayalalithaa) had fought for the sake of delta farmers and it was "she who gave me this position. I am happy to resign from the position on the Cauvery issue."  "As an MP, I did whatever could be done for the sake of Tamil Nadu. When people are not able to get water, there is no use in holding the MP post," he had said.