Krishna hails move, bandh called off

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Election Co-ordination Committee chairman S M Krishna, who took the issue to the UPA Government for resolution, hailed the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s decision and said a solution can be obtained when an elected government is in place in Karnataka.

Krishna said he spoke to Karunanidhi and requested him to put the Hogenakkal project on hold. “In response to this, Karunanidhi has taken this decision. This is an example of his statesmanship,” Krishna who had earlier criticised Karunanidhi for his strong remarks on the issue said.

With the Hogenakkal issue losing steam, activists and political parties in Karnataka turned the heat on Tamil film star Rajnikant, especially for his remarks on political interference in the Hogenakkal drinking water project by politicians in Karnataka.

The pro-Kannada groups have called for a boycott of Tamil movies starring Rajnikant. “We will not allow the screening of Rajnikant’s movies in Karnataka and will also not allow him to enter the state,” Vatal Nagaraj, three-time MLA and leading activist in the Karnataka Border Protection Committee, said of the Tamil film star.

Rajnikant, a Maharastrian, has roots in Karnataka and was a key player in securing the release of the late Kannada icon Dr Rajkumar — following his kidnapping by forest brigand Veerappan in the year 2000.