Bengaluru: The Karnataka BJP has strongly criticized the Congress-led government’s decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, terming it a grave error. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai conveyed his concerns on Wednesday, asserting that the Congress administration committed a significant mistake by releasing water to Tamil Nadu immediately after the neighboring state submitted a petition regarding the matter.
Bommai highlighted that Tamil Nadu had already utilized double the allocated water proportion for the Kuruvai crop. He further pointed out that the cultivated land had expanded fourfold. He criticized the Karnataka government for not raising these pertinent points during the proceedings of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) and for swiftly releasing water upon Tamil Nadu’s petition to the Supreme Court.
Bommai chastised the Congress government for its inability to promptly provide water to farmers within the state. He accused the administration of delaying the decision to release water to Karnataka’s own farmers, while now being compelled to release water to Tamil Nadu.
Drawing attention to recent events, Bommai noted that the release of water to Tamil Nadu was orchestrated by the irrigation department, led by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. This came shortly after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had declared that water would not be released to Tamil Nadu. Bommai interpreted this sequence of events as a demonstration of unity among leaders on the issue of managing Cauvery River water, suggesting a lack of determination to defend Karnataka’s interests.
Bommai firmly urged the Karnataka government to immediately halt the release of water to Tamil Nadu and to persuasively present the state’s farmers’ plight before the Supreme Court. He underscored the paramount importance of safeguarding the interests of Karnataka’s farming community.