From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 30: Confronted with the fourth adverse order from the two-judge bench of Supreme Court comprising Justices Dipak Misra and Uday Umesh Lalit on the inter-state Cauvery water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, the latest being the direction to release 6,000 cusecs a day from October 1 to October 6 and also the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has convened an all-party meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday to discuss the latest crisis.

The all-party meeting being held at Vidhana Soudha at 5 pm on Saturday is expected to be attended by all the State’s MPs, Floor leaders of all political parties in the State Legislature and also leaders of the three major political parties including the ruling Congress, opposition BJP and JD(S).

With the two-judge bench of the apex court pulling up or rather issuing a stern warning to the State Government for its repeated defiance of its orders for release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu despite being apprised of the Karnataka legislature’s unanimous resolution against releasing Cauvery waters beyond the precariously low level of 27 tmcft, which is considered sufficient to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru and other nearby towns and villages, the State has been dealt with a double whammy with the direction for constitution of the Cauvery Management Board within 3 days.

What made the matters worse is that the State’s senior counsel Fali S Nariman, had informed the apex court of his decision to recuse from handling the Cauvery dispute in the court in view of the State Government’s refusal to abide by his advice to comply with the order to release the Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, and the Centre’s agreement to constitute the Cauvery Management Board within 3 days despite knowing that Karnataka’s Special Leave Petition challenging the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s order for forming Board and allocation of waters was coming up before the larger constitution bench of the apex court on October 18 and the earlier decision of the two-judge bench to direct the Centre to constitute the Board within four weeks.

However, the all-party meeting convened by a beleaguered Siddaramaiah on Saturday to finalise Karnataka’s stand is expected to recommend to the State Government to abide by the unanimous resolution of both houses of the State Legislature on September 23 against release of Cauvery water unmindful of the likely adverse consequences.

According to informed sources, the ruling Congress party with the backing the opposition BJP and JD(S) will strongly oppose the constitution of the Cauvery Management Board.

Opposing the Apex Court’s order, JD(S) national president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda said: ``It is really a tragedy, less said is better about the court’s order.”

KPCC Working President Dinesh Gundu Rao termed Friday’s SC order as contradictory and the one that goes totally against the interest of the State. 

“It is another setback to State. The Centre also acted in haste and said the Cauvery Management Board will be formed within three days.  This smacks of partisanship,’’ he said.

Evidently, the State Government and the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are willing to risk any action from the Supreme Court, including a direction to the Centre to dismiss the State Government and forcibly get the Cauvery waters to be released, thereby playing to the popular sentiments of the people of Karnataka.