With pressure mounting, the principal Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday assured the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of putting pressure on the Centre to desist from constituting the Cauvery Water Management Board (CMB).
“The BJP will oppose the direction to form the Cauvery Monitoring Board. We have told the all-party meeting that we will do whatever possible to put pressure on the Centre in this regard,” Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters.
The meeting was convened to decide on the next course of action in the wake of Supreme Court’s order asking the State to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu. Several leaders who participated are learnt to have demanded that the BJP play a “key role” in convincing the Centre to defer constituting the proposed board.
Y.S.V. Datta, Janata Dal (Secular) MLA, said: “The ball is now in the Prime Minister’s court. Hence, the BJP should take up the responsibility of getting justice for Karnataka.”
Meanwhile, various leaders at the meeting are learnt to have taken exception to senior counsel Fali S. Nariman announcing in the court on Friday that he would not argue on behalf of Karnataka for defying its order. Some suggested that a new lawyer be hired, but the Chief Minister reportedly intervened and pacified them.
BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa reportedly expressed dissatisfaction that the State’s legal team could have performed better.
There was also argument between a few Congress and BJP MPs over the Attorney General of India’s consent for constituting the board in a hurry.
