CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP,JDS of politicizing Cauvery water issue

PTI, Sep 25, 2023, 2:14 PM IST

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal Secular (JDS), accusing them of playing politics with the contentious Cauvery water issue.

In his address to the media at Vidhana Soudha today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated, “The opposition parties’ calls for my resignation come as a surprise, considering they did not raise such demands during the recent all-party meeting.”

He further affirmed, “While we fully acknowledge the democratic right to protest, my government has no intention of suppressing dissenting voices.”

Regarding the complex Cauvery water dispute, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah emphasized, “The legal aspect of this issue is ongoing, with a Supreme Court order mandating the release of Cauvery water. This presents significant challenges, as the state has limitations in meeting the stipulated water allocation.”

He also highlighted, “Consequently, we have filed an appeal challenging the orders issued by both the Cauvery Water Control Committee and the Management Authority. It’s noteworthy that the Supreme Court rejected petitions from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu initially demanded 24,000 cusecs of water and later reduced the request to 7,200 cusecs. In response, Karnataka expressed its inability to provide even 5,000 cusecs of water, citing a lack of available resources. However, the court did not accept this argument.”

Looking ahead, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah disclosed, “I am scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court on September 26, and I am confident that we will present a more robust argument on Karnataka’s behalf.”