Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu has turned down the request of AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha M.P. Muthukaruppan to resign his post of M.P. as a mark of condemnation of the manner in which the BJP-led Centre has so far handled the Cauvery river water row.

Tamils and Tamil farmers were utterly disappointed with the Centre for not setting up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) by 29th March (last Thursday), which was the last date of the 6-week period stipulated by the Supreme Court during its February 16 verdict while directing the Centre to set up a ‘scheme’ to ensure that Cauvery river water is shared fairly amongst Karnataka, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Rajya Sabha M.P. Muthukaruppan announced last Friday (30th March) his decision to quit his post of M.P. for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu with the hope that his resignation would pressurize the Centre to set up the CMB.  “If I’m not able to get requisite Cauvery water to our farmers, what’s the use in holding on to the post of M.P.?” he had asked and said he would send his resignation next week.

Terming the duo of Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edapadi K. Palaniswami and deputy chief-minister O. Panneerselvam as his ‘brothers’, Muthukaruppan reiterated his determination to quit his post and had hinted he won’t go back on his decision (to quit) and sent his resignation addressed to Rajya Sabha chairman and vice-president Venkaiah Naidu.

Usually, tradition has it that MPs may resign only because of personal indisposition and other personal reasons but not for political reasons.  As Muthukaruppan’s letter of resignation didn’t state any such thing as the reason, Naidu is said to have sent the letter back to the M.P. thus revealing his decision not to accept the resignation offer.

Reacting to the return of his resignation letter, Muthukaruppan did a ‘volte-face’ while speaking to the media wherein he stated that Tamil Nadu chief-minister Edpadi K. Palaniswami had asked him to put on hold his offer to resign from the Rajya Sabha as the ‘contempt of Court’ petition filed by the State against the Centre was soon to be taken up for hearing on 09th April (next Monday).