Cauvery issue: TN CM Vijay breaks silence, says he proposed talks with Karnataka

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay said he had proposed talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery dispute in the hope of a positive outcome but reiterated that his government would not compromise on Tamil Nadu's water rights or opposition to the Mekedatu project

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday said that it was he who proposed holding talks with neighbouring Karnataka on Cauvery issue considering some hope for a positive outcome.

The chief minister declared in the Assembly that he did not wish to indulge in cheap politics on the Cauvery issue.

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He asserted that there will be no compromise on the Cauvery issue or on fighting against the Mekedatu dam.

Responding to the Leader of Opposition Udhyanidhi Stalin, who raised the Cauvery issue and targeted the ruling party in a special calling attention motion, Vijay traced the way Tamil Nadu had handled the issue since 1969 — from considering dialogue to sticking to legal recourse.

Against this background, he said that his government is firm on dealing with the Cauvery issue legally and that there is no change about it.

Quoting late Congress leader and former leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Assembly P G Karuthiruman, Vijay said, “the Cauvery issue needs to be handled very carefully”.

However, CM said that he thought of attempting to address the issue by visiting Bengaluru and holding talks, hoping for a positive outcome.

Vijay also said that in an attempt to hold talks on Cauvery, for the sake of Tamil Nadu people, he was “prepared to bear insults”.

He said that he attempted to visit Karnataka over the Cauvery issue with positive thoughts. “I thought what if talks are held with neighbouring state as even hostile nations hold dialogue to solve issues,” he said.

He also agreed that he had received several opinions about the plan.

Some asked what could be done if that attempt to hold parleys to solve the decades-old issue resulted in humiliation. In that case, CM said he was ready to bear even that for the people of Tamil Nadu and thanked all for their love.

The CM said: “Cauvery is our lifeline and deeply emotional for us. Therefore, our government does not have even an ounce of intention to play politics with it. Nor is there any need for it. On the Mekedatu issue, we all unanimously passed a resolution together. We also sent it to the Prime Minister.”

The government did not stop there. When the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti “did not mention full details” regarding the proposed Mekedatu dam in Rajya Sabha, the government immediately acted, Vijay said.

It may be recalled that the Union Minister had maintained that Karnataka does not need prior consent from lower riparian states like Tamil Nadu to build the dam.

Against this background, CM Vijay said his government wrote to PM Narendra Modi appealing against giving legal or administrative sanction to Karnataka for Mekedatu project.

Relevant clauses from the Cauvery Tribunal’s final verdict and the Supreme Court’s judgment were cited.

“Be it the Cauvery river water sharing issue or stopping attempts to build the Mekedatu dam, our government will not yield even a bit. That remains our firm stance,” he said.

Further, Vijay said a discussion had taken place in the Assembly in 1969 about Karnataka starting the construction of certain dams.

He said: “Who was the Water Resources Minister back then? Why did they allow the dams to be built then? I do not wish to engage in cheap politics by asking such questions. That is not our intention either.

In 1969, the DMK was in power in the state.

As early as 1969, it was stated in the Assembly that both the states involved in the Cauvery issue and the Union government should hold talks and arrive at a decision.

“We all know how things took a different turn after that. We remain firm in approaching this issue legally, and there is absolutely no change in that.”

On the special package for Kuruvai (short-term) crop issue raised by the opposition, the CM took a veiled swipe at the DMK and said the relief has already been sanctioned and distributed.

He said: “I really don’t know how those who claim that we are politics itself failed to know this. If they had read the newspapers now and then, they would know what is happening in the country.”

Udhayanidhi responded by saying the difference between the government-sanctioned Rs 134 crore worth special Kuruvai package and the current demand for drought relief must be understood. “It will not suffice if newspapers are read; you must listen to the grievances of the farmers,” he said.

Leader of the House KA Sengottaiyan said the matter on relief is usually considered after assessing the situation till September.

Udhayanidhi, speaking on the Cauvery-Mekedatu issue, reiterated the demand for an all-party meeting and asked, “What is your fear and hesitation in holding the all-party meeting?

He said Karnataka had shown unity, held an all-party meeting on the issue and considered representations of stakeholders.

Tamil Nadu farmers were demanding that the government declare Cauvery delta districts as drought-affected and announce relief. While CM Vijay mocked former CM MK Stalin for writing to PM Modi, Vijay has done the same, he added.

AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami also spoke on the issue and demanded an all-party meeting.