Agency report

Chennai, Apr 7: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Saturday criticised his Karnataka counterpart H D Kumaraswamy for his remarks on Cauvery and said such comments would endanger sovereignty, integrity and unity of the country.

Reacting sharply to Kumaraswamy's remarks that he would rather give up his Chief Ministership than release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi described as a ''childish act'' the stubborn attitude of his Karnataka counterpart on not releasing water to Tamil Nadu.

Stating that he had held talks on the vexed Cauvery issue with ten Chief Ministers since 1968, Karunanidhi said even when the negotiations had failed, no Chief Minister had made such a remark endangering the sovereignty, integrity and unity of the nation.

"Even Kumaraswamy's father and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda will not accept his Chief Minister son's remark'', he added.

"Several rivers were passing through several countries across the world providing wealth and livelihood to the people. But going by Kumaraswamy's remark it is rare to find a trace of humanity'', he regretted.

Kumaraswamy, while denouncing the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT), said he would rather choose to quit his post (Chief Ministership) than release water to Tamil Nadu in the event of a distress situation.

"The Chief Minister's post is not precious to me'', Karunanidhi had said.