Oppn asks govt not to release water to TN

Bengaluru, October 1

Opposition parties in Karnataka hardened their stance over the Cauvery water dispute on Saturday as they asked the state government to not comply with the Supreme Court's directions of releasing water to Tamil Nadu, a day after the country's highest court warned the state against defiance.

In a meeting that lasted more than three hours, BJP and JDS leaders told the state government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to not release water “at any cost” and oppose a management board the Supreme Court had ordered.

"We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it cannot be implemented. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," BJP Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar told reporters.

He also said the BJP opposed the Cauvery Water Management Board and "would do all that is necessary to put pressure on the Centre (not to constitute it)”.

JDS leader YSV Datta said the state should not comply with the court’s order.

"Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said.

Soon after the meeting, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a Cabinet meeting to decide what the state government should do about the Supreme Court’s direction.

Karnataka has filed a petition in the Supreme Court for reviewing the order.

In the petition, the state government claimed there was a "grave miscarriage of justice" caused by three orders — of September 20, 27, and 30— by which the court told the state to release 6,000 cusecs of water. It also opposed the Cauvery board, which it said the court had ordered without taking into account the fact that three of its judges had held in 2013 that direction to constitute the board "could wait and may be heard along with the Civil Appeal".

The state government said releasing water to Tamil Nadu from Karnataka's reservoirs would "cause irreparable injury" to it that could not be reversed even with good North-East monsoon.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda began an "indefinite" hunger strike on Saturday over the dispute.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Karnataka Government to release 6,000 cusecs for six days and warned it against defying its directions.

The court also asked the central government to have a Cauvery Water Management Board set up by October 4.

The Karnataka Assembly passed a resolution against releasing water to Tamil Nadu and using Cauvery water only for drinking on September 23.  — Agencies