The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, October 9, 2023 adopted a resolution urging the Union government to direct Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu as mandated in the final judgment of the Supreme Court. All political parties, except the BJP, welcomed the resolution moved by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
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Moving the resolution, Mr. Stalin contended that Karnataka was creating an “artificial crisis” by not releasing the share of water due to Tamil Nadu, despite the steps being taken by his government. Tamil Nadu would continue to insist on its share of water at the next meeting of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee on Wednesday.
“The Cauvery water is vital for the people of Tamil Nadu... We would not give it up under any circumstances and would secure it for our people. The Union government should act appropriately and get the Cauvery water for the people of Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Stalin said.
He said the DMK government would take all required steps. “Consultations would be held with legal experts and legal action would be initiated, if need be.”
Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami welcomed the resolution, but said the government should exert political pressure to get the water. He also asked the government about the steps being taken to supply drinking water to 20 districts until the Cauvery water was received from Karnataka or the State received rain.
BJP stages walkout
Vanathi Srinivasan of the BJP wanted the text of the resolution modified and demanded that the Tamil Nadu government support nationalisation of rivers and a national legislation on dam safety. She said the BJP supported the cause of the Tamil Nadu farmers, but questioned the stand adopted by the State government on different situations. She said the situation was better when the BJP ruled Karnataka. With no response from the government to her demand for modifying the text of the resolution, she staged a walkout with her party members.
K. Selvaperunthagai of the Congress; G.K. Mani of the PMK; M. Sinthanai Selvan of the VCK; K. Marimuthu of the CPI; V.P. Nagaimaali of the CPI(M); M. Jagan Moorthy; T. Velmurugan; E.R. Eswaran; M.H. Jawahirullah; and T. Sadhan Thirumalaikumar spoke in support of the resolution. The Speaker later declared the resolution adopted “unanimously”.
AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran has urged the DMK government to follow up on the Cauvery issue after having a resolution adopted by the Assembly. Welcoming the motion, he said farmers were in a state of distress, as the standing Kuruvai crop was withering on large tracts of land.
