Union Minister of State for Finance Pon Radhakrishnan has taken a dig at DMK’s working president Stalin for taking double-standards on the Cauvery water row.

Ponnar, as he is referred to by partymen and others, was speaking to newsmen yesterday at Chennai Airport.  “Stalin’s walkathon from Trichy to Cuddalore is not for getting Tamil Nadu its fair share of Cauvery river water but is only a political gimmick to achieve political mileage.  He also accused Stalin of adopting double-standards on the Cauvery water row.

“I don’t know if the DMK’s protest is meant to impress Tamils or its own allies,” Ponnar said.  Referring to the stats that according ‘special status’ to Andhra Pradesh would reduce employment opportunity/industries in Tamil Nadu, Ponnar wondered whether this was what Stalin wanted.  “DMK is duty-bound to convince the people that its protests are meant for them and not politically motivated,” he said.

“In my opinion, the DMK’s proposed black-flag protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th April is not against the PM but against the Tamils,” he said and added that he would have lauded Stalin’s walkathon protest had his destination been Bangalore instead of Cuddalore.  He also sought to know why Tamil Nadu Congress leaders didn’t discuss the Cauvery issue so far with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.