Home minister P Chidambaram withdraws 'dam' remark

NEW DELHI: Home minister P Chidambaram on Sunday withdrew his "Mullaperiyar protest is prompted by a by-poll in Kerala" statement after chief minister Oommen Chandy and senior Congress leaders threatened to take it up with party president Sonia Gandhi.

"Like some other speakers, I also made a passing reference to the forthcoming byelection. I take back that remark. That reference was not necessary and it was not my intention to hurt the feelings of anyone," Chidambaram said in a statement on Sunday. He said the issue must be resolved in a "spirit of cooperation and brotherhood between the two states".

While addressing a public rally Chidambaram had expressed the hope that the SC verdict would go in Tamil Nadu's favour. He was speaking at a function organised by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in Chennai on Saturday.

The home minister went on to say, referring to reports that Kerala's protests over the dam had much to do with the Piravom by-poll scheduled there, that "it was not a fear that came about suddenly, but a fear because of a byelection".

In Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala chief minister said: "He shouldn't have made the remark. No one expects such a statement from a Union minister."

Former Kerala home minister and CPM leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said it was the "most unfortunate remark" by a central minister. "It was only the other day that the prime minister assured us that he will help the state government sort out the issue. The remark by Chidambaram is against the spirit of what the PM assured us," he said.