Bengaluru: Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has convened a meeting of floor leaders of both Houses to discuss the vexed Mahadayi river water dispute on Thursday.
Interestingly, the meeting has been scheduled at a time when the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal's sittings are on in New Delhi.
A similar meeting was held nearly about weeks ago when mines and geology minister Vinay Kulkarni made a personal attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prompting a walk out by leaders of BJP. Subsequently, the chief minister and his colleagues used the opportunity to criticise the BJP, saying leaders of that party lacked commitment to protect the state's interests. The ruling party had trapped the Opposition by convening an all-party meeting on that occasion.
Official sources said the government convened this meeting to take leaders of Opposition into confidence on certain issues. "Our two senior lawyers, Fali Nariman is recuperating following a heart surgery, while Anil Diwan is no more. Though we are confident of winning the Mahadayi water dispute case and securing justice in the Cauvery water case, we would like to keep the opposition in good humour so that tomorrow they should not hold the government accountable if something goes wrong. So, the meeting has been convened," sources added.
