Tamil Nadu MPs should resign over Mullaperiyar issue: Vijayakanth

DMDK founder Vijayakanth today said all 39 MPs from Tamil Nadu should resign to register their protest over the Mullaperiyar dam issue and hit out at DMK for failing to resolve the dispute during the five years it was in power.

Addressing a demonstration in this town, where people have been staging protests over the last few days against Kerala's call to decommission the dam, he said the MPs should understand and respect the feelings of the people and tender their resignations.

He said even his party MLAs would resign if it serves any purpose. "But then Tamil Nadu will be left without an effective opposition party," he said.

Lambasting the DMK for its "inaction" on the issue, he said "none would be fooled" by their agitations on Mullaperiyar.

"Whom are they trying to cheat... they were in power for five years and have MPs in Delhi. But they remained silent there and are holding demonstrations here," he said.

Pointing out that an agreement had been signed long back entitling Tamil Nadu to use the waters of the Mullaperiyar dam, he said it was not right on Kerala's part to demand that it be decommissioned.

He suggested that the Centre should bring the Mullaperiyar dam under Army control if Kerala continued its "adamant posture".