Mangaluru: “The long standing and eagerly awaited project of Mahadayi River has been a ray of hope for the people of North Karnataka but is on the verge of becoming a mirage due to irresponsibility of 224 MLAs and 28 MPs of the state. It is shameful that even after a year has passed since the agitation became virulent but no representative of the people visited Navalagunda and Naragunda to listen to the woes of farmers and people,” said AAP state media convener Shivakumar Chengalaraya in a press release on Monday.

“It is a matter of great regret that the Police have brutally beaten up the old, infirm, elderly and pregnant women of Yamlur and Annigeri villages in the Navalagunda and Naragunda area. Aam Aadmi Party demands that the Home Minister should stop misguiding people of the state and ask for an unconditional apology for the police brutality. The Government should stop suppressing genuine protests of its people,” he said.

He further said that there is only 2 options left with people of Karnataka to get Mahadayi Issue solves, one is by the tribunal & other is by the interference of Prime Minister & turning the tables in favor of Karnataka. But even when the whole area of Mumbai Karnataka is in flames due to Mahadayi agitation, the 17 MPs of BJP could have easily approached the PM with a request to intervene and settle the matter out of court by applying various pressures including threat to resign their seats. It is disgusting that these MPs are trying to justify the partisan act of the PM. Shamefully, the remaining Congress and JD(S) MPs did not bother to raise this issue in Parliament either.

“In this background Aam Aadmi Party is protesting in front of all MPs houses. AAP demands that all 28 MPs forget their political affiliation, stand united and pressurize the PM to intervene and get justice to Karnataka in this Mahadayi issue. If the Centre does not act within seven days, they should use their resignation letters to escalate the issue. AAP further demands that if the MPs are unable to reach the voice of the people to the Parliament/PM and work for the people, they should declare themselves unfit to serve people & give up politics,” he added.

Continuing he said that the interim order of the Tribunal has come as a shock to the people due to Karnataka’s side being inadequately presented during the arguments. In September 2015, a delegation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had visited the belt of both Malaprabha and Mahadavi rivers, met the leaders of the agitation, collected information from the experts, studied the ground realities and had suggested the following to the CM.

“Form a high power committee comprising of experts on Geology, Gauging, Weather, Environment, Technical, Engineering, Irrigation, Agriculture and Farmer Leaders etc. and present the report of this committee in the argument to the court. In the argument the state must effectively neutralize the plans of Goa by quantifying and explaining the damage that will be caused to environment of the Western Ghats and how much water can be provided for drinking water to the thousands of villages in Karnataka. The tribunal should be made aware of the availability of water and other ground realities in the area where canals are proposed through the report of expert committee,” he urged.

“However even after AAP delegation gave it’s suggestion to CM Siddaramaiah and the people of North Karnataka have been waging a relentless struggle for water since 2002, he has failed to understand the seriousness of the matter, making the state argue without facts and figures, thereby failing to impress upon the Tribunal of it’ drinking water requirement. AAP feels that this has proved that the CM is as good as dead for the people of the state,” he stated.