BENGALURU: The leadership of Congress has backed the state government’s decision to implement the Supreme Court order on release of 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water for ten days to Tamil Nadu.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Digvijay Singh, told the media after chairing a meeting of the reconstituted co-ordination committee here on Thursday the state government had no choice but to release water to Tamil Nadu in line with the order of the apex court.
He also clarified that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had consulted leaders of Opposition and MPs before taking a decision on the issue, and claimed that they as well as the legal team headed by Fali S. Nariman had backed the leader.
CM Siddaramaiah defended the state government’s decision to release water to Tamil Nadu. Water was released according to formula of Irrigation Consultative Committee (ICC), he said adding it was not the first time the state was releasing water to Tamil Nadu. In fact, his predecessors Mr H.D.Deve Gowda, Mr S.M. Krishna and Mr Jagadish Shettar, too, released water to Tamil Nadu.
He, however, charged that leaders of BJP and JD (S) were attempting to politicise the issue. He maintained that despite releasing around 13 TMC feet water to Tamil Nadu, there was no shortage of water for irrigation and drinking purposes in the state.
Home minister Dr. G. Parameshwar said officers of his department have taken all measures to maintain law and order on Friday in view of a call by pro-Kannada organizations for state-wide bandh.
