Karnataka decides against release of water to TN

The Karnataka Cabinet has decided not to release any further water from the Cauvery to Tamil Nadu, notwithstanding a Supreme Court order to the contrary. It has also decided to convene an emergency session of the State Assembly on Saturday to discuss the issue.

At an all-party meeting earlier in the day, all political parties in Karnataka baring principal opposition BJP, recommended against releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

The apex court had on Tuesday directed Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from September 21 to 27.

Participants at the all-party meet included Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) supremo HD Deve Gowda, party chief HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha (SKP) legislator KS Puttannaiah. The Congress was represented by its leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily, KH Muniyappa, MV Rajeev Gowda, R Dhruvanarayana. All State ministers, MLAs and MLCs from the Cauvery basin districts attended the meet.

The BJP, which boycotted the meeting, said it was a meaningless exercise aimed at hoodwinking the Opposition parties as well as the people of Karnataka. “The BJP has rightly lost faith and confidence in the Congress government as it has repeatedly indulged in double-talk and betrayal. It is because of this reason the BJP decided to keep away from the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday,” said former Chief Minister and State BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa. He said the BJP did not want to be a “culpable-partner” in the “Congress government’s sins of omission and commission.”

Decisions taken at two previous all-party meetings had not been followed by the Congress government — that it would convince the apex court that it would be impossible to release water based given the State’s circumstances, and that the government would appeal to the court to send a team of experts to conduct an on-the-spot inspection before arriving at any decision.

Criticising the apex court’s directive, former Chief Minister SM Krishna termed it as a perverted judgement and demanded that the State appeal before a full Bench of the apex court.

Opposing the direction to constitute a Cauvery Management Board, Krishna said “the KRS dam is Karnataka’s property” and various constitutional procedures would have to be followed before control over such reservoirs is taken from the State.

Later after the council of ministers meet, Siddaramaiah drove down to meet Deve Gowda to apprise him of the Cauvery water crisis. This for the first time after the duo parted ways in 2007 that Siddaramaiah has met Deve Gowda.

Deve Gowda on Wednesday advised the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against releasing water to Tamil Nadu, as directed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. “There is no need for Siddarmaiah to resign at this juncture, let him take a firm stand against releasing water,” Gowda told reporters.

“I don’t want to politicise the issue. I had resigned thrice. I don’t have any objection to submit my resignation to the post of MP from Hassan. I can handover the letter of resignation to the Speaker tomorrow morning. But, who will be there in Lok Sabha to protect State farmers’ interest,” questioned Gowda. Expressing regret over the Supreme Court order, Gowda demanded intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the matter. “Modi has to reject the direction of Supreme Court,” he said.

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