Cauvery Crisis: Udhayanidhi Leads DMK Protest; Stalin Accuses Govt of Negligence

Thanjavur: Leading a demonstration in Thanjavur, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday fiercely attacked the state government over its handling of the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka and the distress faced by the agricultural community. Meanwhile, taking to X, DMK president M K Stalin attributed the plight of Delta farmers due to lack of water in the Cauvery to irrigate their crops to the "negligence" of the TVK administration.

The protest, which witnessed a large turnout of farmers and party cadres, was organised to push for complete waiver of all agricultural loans, immediate intervention to stop the construction of Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam as well as official declaration of the Delta districts as drought-affected.

Addressing the gathering, Udhayanidhi expressed anguish over the arid state of the Cauvery river, noting that it resembles a desert even during the auspicious 'Aadi Perukku' festival, a time when rivers traditionally run full. He stated that with the 'Kuruvai' crop already lost, farmers are now in deep distress regarding the upcoming 'Samba' cultivation.

The DMK leader accused the chief minister of being a "dummy" leader lacking administrative capability. He pointed out that as per the Cauvery Management Board's directives, Tamil Nadu was supposed to receive 9.9 TMC of water in June and 32 TMC in July, bringing the total to 42 TMC; however, the state has not received a single drop.

"Despite this, the Chief Minister remains tight-lipped and fearful of questioning both the Congress government in Karnataka and the BJP-led Union government," Udhayanidhi alleged.

Udhayanidhi flayed the government's handling of protesting farmers, stating that cultivators who marched towards the secretariat to voice their grievances were unceremoniously arrested. He questioned the Chief Minister's proposed visit to Karnataka, noting that the Karnataka Chief Minister had already bluntly refused to release any water. He also criticised the state government for failing to convene an all-party meeting to put unified pressure on the Union government.

Highlighting the severe financial hit taken by the farming community -- where only 1.5 lakh acres saw cultivation this year compared to 6 lakh acres last year, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 2,500 crore -- Udhayanidhi insisted on a financial relief package of Rs 25,000 per acre. He also said the state government must fully bear the premium for crop insurance as well as provide seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides at subsidised rates for Samba cultivation.

He accused the ruling government of going back on its electoral promises regarding crop loan waivers, shifting the eligibility limits and ultimately denying relief to the farmers, in stark contrast to the Rs 12,000 crore loan waiver implemented during the previous DMK regime.

Reiterating the DMK's commitment to safeguarding the state's rights, Udhayanidhi noted that party president M K Stalin has already approached the Supreme Court to seek the enforcement of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's orders.

Through his social media post, Stalin also questioned the Tamil Nadu government's "failure" to denounce Karnataka for refusing to release water. He alleged that the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers were being compromised to protect the release of films in the neighbouring state's theatres.

Labelling the government's performance "deceitful", the DMK president accused the TVK leadership of backing out on its election pledge to provide a complete farm loan waiver after securing power.

Referring to Karnataka's recent all-party meeting regarding the proposed Mekedatu dam project, Stalin asked why the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was reluctant to convene a similar meeting to protect state rights, instead seeking talks with Karnataka.

Stalin demanded immediate full farm loan waivers, a special Kuruvai relief package, and the declaration of Delta districts as drought-hit areas.