Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (EP)
Bengaluru, Sep 15: K S Eshwarappa, leader of the opposition in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, September 14, urged chief minister Siddaramaiah to either immediately stop Cauvery water release to Tamil Nadu or to resign.
Speaking to reporters here, the BJP leader urged Siddaramaiah to stop the release of water to Tamil Nadu immediately, even if it amounts to contempt of court. “It is the duty of chief minister to safeguard the interests of the Cauvery basin districts,” he said.
“Senior lawyer Fali S Nariman, appearing for Karnataka before the Supreme Court, had consented to release 10,000 cusecs of water. But the chief minister and the water resources minister are claiming that they were not aware of this. This is a good example of bad governance," he said.
Shettar criticizes Siddaramaiah, calls him liar
In a separate incident, BJP leader and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar accused chief minister Siddaramaiah of uttering lies on the issue of releasing Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu.
Addressing reporters, Shettar said that the chief minister had lied by saying that head of Karnataka’s legal team, Fali S Nariman, did not consult him before making a submission before the Supreme Court on releasing Cauvery water.
On the demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention, Shettar said that the chief minister thinks about the prime minister only when he has trouble at hand. “The chief minister has not only failed in protecting the interest of Karnataka, but also in maintaining the law and order in the state. When he failed completely on the Cauvery issue, he wants the prime minister’s intervention." Shettar said.
"The Prime Minister’s intervention at this juncture is not possible,” he added.
Shettar himself had defended the decision to release the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in 2012 when he was chief minister. “The state had total of 81 tmcft water available at that time. But this year, the state has just 47 tmcft. The decision to release water will have a severe impact on the state this year.” Shettar concluded.