DMK leader Elangovan accuses BJP of playing politics over Cauvery issue

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader TKS Elangovan on Sunday targeted the BJP party over the Cauvery water sharing dispute, saying the "BJP is doing politics in the state". Lashing out at Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over "his inaction on the Cauvery water sharing dispute," Elangovan said, "What is the central water resource minister doing? What is his duty? What is he doing? Our irrigation minister went there, met him, and gave him a memorandum. What did he do? Until now, there has been no action."

"Cauvery is not owned by Karnataka. Time and again, I have told this. This river is now controlled by the management authority, and they have to decide on the sharing," he said. "The court has also said that this amount of water should be given to Tamil Nadu. Let us see if the state does not release that much water. We will file a contempt petition," Elangovan told ANI.

The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters. The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in either state. The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had ordered Karnataka to ensure the release of 3000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 till October 15, 2023.

Earlier, the amount of water to be released was 5000 cusecs. Karnataka has cited a severe drought in parts of its state to refuse the supply of water to Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu government has accused its neighbour of lying to the nation about the supply of water.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the state government will file a review petition before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Supreme Court on September 30, as the state does not have water and so cannot release it. Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

The Naam Tamilar Katchi Party held protests in Madurai on Saturday, condemning the Congress-led Karnataka government over the issue. The National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers Association held a protest on a railway track in Trichy on Sunday, demanding the release of the Cauvery water in Tamil Nadu.

The Farmers Association under the leadership of Ayyakannu had earlier also on September 25 staged a half-naked protest in Trichy by holding parts of the human skeleton and demanding the sharing of Cauvery water to save the standing 'kuruvai' crop cultivation in Tamil Nadu.