“If you take a decision to stop releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, we are with you. If you (government) decide to release water, then the BJP will not extend its cooperation in future. This is the BJP’s stand,” K.S. Eshwarappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, cautioned the State government.
In the same breath, Mr. Eshwarappa also wanted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to prove himself that he was pro-farmer by adopting a firm stand on not releasing water to Tamil Nadu.
Mr. Eshwarappa, who was here on Thursday to mobilise support for the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade launched by him, was responding to questions from presspersons.
According to him, the State itself was facing shortage of drinking water this year due to the failure of rain and yet it abided by the Supreme Court order.
He said that the BJP would attend the special legislative session on Friday and would reiterate its stand besides urging the State government to take a bold decision to not release water to Tamil Nadu. “In the event of any contempt of court proceedings arising out of the stand taken by the State government for not releasing water, BJP legislators will be with you (Chief Minister) and would be ready to go to jail with you,” he said.
Defending his party’s decision to boycott the all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister on Wednesday, Mr. Eshwarappa said that the BJP had attended all-party meetings on four earlier occasions and had urged the government not to release water to Tamil Nadu.
But, the government chose to release water. “If our suggestions are not considered, what is the point in attending such meetings. So we boycotted it this time,” he clarified.
He took a dig at the former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy for criticising the BJP for boycotting the all-party meeting. Mr. Eshwarappa reminded him that he (Mr. Kumaraswamy) had not attended a meeting convened earlier. “He is only politicising the issue,” he said.
