Former Union minister Maneka Gandhi has said “the water dispute between Punjab and Haryana had led to the brutal killing of her mother-in-law and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi”. Speaking after inaugurating a National Seminar on Protection of Environment at Pushpagiri in Halebid in this district yesterday, an emotionally-charged Maneka Gandhi said that dispute regarding river waters was a complex issue and warned that unless precautionary measures taken, such issues would lead to serious law and order problems in future. She said same situation was prevailing in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala over Cauvery and Periyar water disputes, which has to be handled carefully.
Speaking on the occasion, MP Ananth Kumar called for strict regulations to conserve ground water, saying that over-ambitious desires of man had resulted in contamination of water in more than 60 per cent of the borewells in the country. Housing Minister Somanna, State Pollution Control Board Chairman Sadashivaiah, legislator Rudregowda, Sri Somashekara Shivacharya Swamiji of Pushpagiri Mutt and others were present. Meanwhile, Simultaneous visits of Sonia Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi, daughters in-law of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to two different religious centres in the State on the same day has triggered a political debate.
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited Tumkur to participate in the Guruvandhana programme organised as part of 105th birthday celebrations of Siddaganga seer Shivakumara Swamiji, while former Union Empowerment Minister Maneka Gandhi was at Pushpagiri Mutt in Hassan district participating in the National Conference on Environment Protection. Though sources at Pushpagiri Mutt said that Maneka Gandhi’s visit had nothing to do with politics, Sonia Gandhi’s reported secret talks with the Siddaganga Seer have triggered rumours of religious politics. UNI