With the Congress fully backing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s stand on not releasing Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has said that the Supreme Court’s direction to the Centre to intervene and discuss the issue with both the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments will only expose the Bharatiya Janata Party.
KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “The BJP has been saying that the Centre cannot intervene. Now, when the court itself has asked it to hold talks with both the States, the onus is on the Centre to discuss the issue with them and try to resolve it in favour of where justice needs to be done.”
He said it was a good development that the Supreme Court had not made serious comments on the State defying its order. “But the direction to release water at 6,000 cusecs for next three days is a crucial issue that is practically not possible. The Chief Minister and all-party leaders will discuss this,” he said.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Digvijaya Singh, who chaired an executive committee meeting of the KPCC, which passed a resolution requesting the State government to not release any water, said the Congress high command fully supported the Karnataka government in its decision.
“With all due respect to the Supreme Court, the Karnataka legislature represents the will of the people and the unanimous resolution of the legislature supported by all political parties reflects the sentiments of the people of Karnataka,” he said.
Pointing out that the Karnataka government had duly complied with the two previous orders of the Supreme Court, Mr. Singh said as per the international water policy, the first right of water is for drinking and Karnataka has acted as per the policy.
He also objected to the Supreme Court’s direction to set up the Cauvery Water Management Board. “It was not in the prayer and the court has gone beyond the prayer,” he said. Addressing reporters after the party’s executive committee meeting, KPCC president G. Parameshwara termed Tuesday’s SC direction as a setback to the State. “The KPCC will stand behind the government in its decision. We want the Prime Minister to intervene in both the Cauvery and Mahadayi water disputes,” he said.
Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge also termed it as a setback to the government.
