BENGALURU: In a move which could bring the violent agitation to an abrupt end for now, the Congress government seems to be contemplating defying the Supreme Court’s order on release of water of the Cauvery to Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.
The move would be discussed at a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday morning and during a breakfast meeting of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with veteran leaders of Congress.
The leaders are likely to appeal to the government not to release water to the neighbouring state with the cabinet expected to adopted a defiant stand in view of the fact that the state would end up releasing about three TMC feet water more than that stipulated by the apex court on September 5 owing to the order pronounced by a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U.U. Lalit on Monday.
Though the bench reduced the quantum of water from 15,000 cusecs to 12,000 a day to flow to Tamil Nadu, it would result in release of an additional 63,000 cusecs by September 20.
Sources in the ruling party said the leaders are aware of the likely political fallout of adopting such a bold stand: Once the government decides not to release water, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could intervene and ask the state to release water, a decree which would be adhered to by the government. The move would give the Congress government an opportunity to blame the Prime Minister. It would also help the party wriggle out of the mess, sources added.
Second, the decision would help soothe tempers and bring the agitation in the city and other parts of the state to a halt. The government would have sufficient time to take control of the situation before taking a relook at the Supreme Court order.
In its application for modification of the order of September 5, the state government said it was necessitated because of spontaneous agitations in Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru and Hassan in the Cauvery basis which has paralysed normal life besides destroying public and private properties worth several hundreds of crores of rupees.
