Won’t give any suggestion over Cauvery matter: EX-PM Deve Gowda

H.D. Deve Gowda on Friday said that he will not give any suggestion over the Cauvery River water sharing issue at this stage

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister and JD(S) President H.D. Deve Gowda on Friday said that he will not give any suggestion over the Cauvery River water sharing issue at this stage.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Deve Gowda said that the Supreme Court had ordered the release of water to Tamil Nadu. “I have stated that complete cooperation would be extended over the matter of Cauvery.”

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The former Prime Minister further stated, “I spoke on the Floor of the House. Send five members who do not belong to Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. Let them go and study the conditions — the crop condition, storage. Chairman said ‘No’….”

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (his son) had issued a statement saying that the release of water to Tamil Nadu is not right. “I have raised my voice on the Women’s Reservation Bill and Cauvery matter. In 1996 I proposed the Bill. I was not able to participate in the MPs’ meeting over Cauvery, MP Prajwal Revanna (his grandson) from the party participated in the meeting,” he explained.

When asked about the allegations of silence of AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge over the Cauvery dispute, Deve Gowda stated, “I spoke alone in Rajya Sabha regarding Cauvery issue. Do not make any attempt to make me issue a statement in this regard. He is the president of a national political party.”

Reacting to the demand of Congress government that the Central government must interfere in the Cauvery matter, Deve Gowda asked, there were four Union ministers from the state in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. Then, did they speak on the Cauvery issue?”

When asked about the BJP-JD (S) alliance in Karnataka, he maintained that he won’t speak about the alliance of the two parties. “I have stated earlier that former CM Kumaraswamy would talk about it,” he stated.