Mujhse Dosti Karoge?

Yeddyurappa to attend inaugural function of a new Tamil Nadu Assembly and Secretariat building; invite sent by TN minister on behalf of CM M Karunanidhi

Yeddyurappa to attend inaugural function of a new Tamil Nadu Assembly and Secretariat building; invite sent by TN minister on behalf of CM M Karunanidhi

Hello brother: Karunanidhi refers to Yeddyurappa as his younger brother. File pic

CM B S Yeddyurappa said yesterday that he'd participate in the function being organised to inaugurate a Tamil Nadu Assembly and Secretariat building in Chennai on March 13. Yeddyurappa accepted the invitation that was sent by Tamil Nadu Information Minister Parithi Illamvazhuthi on behalf of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

The invite is believed to have come in the backdrop of warmth in relationship ushered between the two states following the unveiling of Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar's statue in Bangalore and Kannada saint-poet Sarvajna's statue in Chennai last August.

The unveiling of the statues marked a new chapter in the relationship between the two states strained by disputes over Cauvery water sharing. Karunanidhi, who referred to Yeddyurappa as his younger brother, had then said they were not unveiling statues but opening up hearts of people of the two states.

Also, Illamvazhuthi witnessed the proceedings of the Karnataka Assembly for a while, during which the speaker welcomed him and the members greeted with applause.

Cause of concern

Sharing of Cauvery waters has been a festering dispute between the neighboring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for several decades. An agreement was signed between the governments of old Mysore state and Madras Province in 1892 and 1924 for an amicable settlement of the dispute. However, the problem on sharing the water crops up often. River Cauvery has its origins in the verdant hills of Coorg in Karnataka and flows down to Tamil Nadu.