Tamil Nadu CM Vijay meets Indian Prime Minister Modi in Delhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today in Delhi on his first official visit to the national capital after coming to power earlier this month.

In the 20-minute-long meeting, the chief minister cited a list of matters linked to Tamil Nadu and asked the prime minister to consider them.

Vijay thanked PM Modi for bringing back ancient copper plates from Holland recently. He also touched upon the sensitive issue of Karnataka's announcement for a dam project in Mekedatu, which would affect water availability downstream in his state.

Another big request he made to the prime minister was for the state anthem to be allowed to be played at the beginning of government programmes. The request was in the context of the Union Home Ministry's order in January that said all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, written by Bengali poet Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, should be sung first when the national song and the national anthem are to be played together.

During Vijay's oath-taking event, Vande Mataram was sung in full, followed by the national anthem Jana Gana Mana and the state song Tamil Thai Vazhthu.

On the Mekedatu water controversy, Vijay told the prime minister that any unilateral move by the Karnataka government to build a dam at the area close to the border between the two states would be against the spirit of the Cauvery Water Tribunal and Supreme Court's verdict.

Since such a project would need the Union government's permission, Vijay requested PM Modi to instruct the Jal Shakti Ministry not to allow the dam to be built.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had announced the state would soon submit a revised detailed project report (DPR) for the Mekedatu project to the Union government and move ahead with the process. Shivakumar also reportedly said Tamil Nadu had "no right" to oppose the project. That triggered immediate backlash in the neighbouring state where friction over Cauvery water is not new.

Another request Vijay made to PM Modi was for setting up the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) Centre for Airborne Systems in the southern state.

Vijay, who also heads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), won a trust vote on May 13 with the support of Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLAs. The TVK emerged as the largest party after winning 108 seats in the assembly elections. At least 25 AIADMK MLAs also rebelled and voted in support of Vijay in the house.

- NDTV