PANAJI, 25 JULY

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday responded to the “lost mental balance” jibe of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, saying the remarks reflected his Congress culture.

In a harsh remark, Shivakumar on Thursday claimed that Sawant had “lost his mental balance” and said Karnataka would proceed with the Mahadayi river project, an emotive issue in neighbouring Goa. He claimed that Sawant was not aware of the federal structure.

Shivakumar’s comments came after Sawant told the assembly earlier that Goa would move the Supreme Court against Karnataka for continuing work on the project on the river, pronounced as 'Mhadei' in Goa, despite the matter being heard by the apex court.

Talking to reporters in Panaji on Friday, Sawant said, “We have been pursuing our demand to save Mhadei from being diverted, before the Supreme Court and the Centre.”

“He (Shivakumar) is showing the Congress culture. We are serious about the issue. We will continue our communication with the centre,” he said.

“When someone is frustrated, they utter such words,” he said, adding that Congress leaders in Karnataka are competing amongst themselves on how low they can stoop.

Goa has been opposing Karnataka's Kalasa-Banduri projects in the Mahadayi river basin. The Kalasa-Banduri project by the Karnataka government proposes diverting Mahadayi river water into the Malaprabha river to enhance the drinking water supply in parts of Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkote, and Gadag districts.

Mahadayi flows through Karnataka and Goa before joining the Arabian Sea. It is known as the Mandovi in Goa.