From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 23: Deputy Chief Minister and State Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the State Government has already submitted its petition before the Cauvery Water Management Authority seeking review of its order on release of 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily for 15 days and asserted that the State Government was doing everything possible to protect the interests of Karnataka.

Reacting to the opposition BJP’s protest over the Cauvery issue, he said opposition or others cannot be prevented from protesting as everybody has a right to protest but nobody should take law into their hands.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, he said the Congress government is protecting interests of the State and its people. “While the BJP-JD(S) opposition is indulging in politics over the Cauvery issue, we are protecting the interests of farmers and the people,’’ he said.

Shivakumar said the government will not prevent the farmer organisations, Kannada organisations as well as the film personalities, they should ensure that the public are not put to hardships or inconvenience.

Asked about the call for organizing Bengaluru bandh on the Cauvery issue, he said bandh will not help. “We need to find a legal solution and evolve a distress sharing formula. We cannot defy constitutional authorities,’’ he said.

The deputy chief minister said the BJP-JD(S) leaders must listen to the views of their own leader and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who has suggested that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi should hold a mutual dialogue with the two riparian states and find a solution.

Asked the failure of opposition parties to stand with the government in protecting the interests of the State and the people, he said Basavaraj Bommai, B S Yediyurappa and H D Kumaraswamy are now energized with JD(S) joining BJP-led NDA giving up all its ‘’secular pretensions.’’

“I wish them well. We are not indulging in politics over the Cauvery issue,’’ he said pointing out that what BJP and JD(S) did while in power is known to everybody.

When pointed out that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has time to meet Kumaraswamy, he said their priorities are different. ``It is reported that Kumaraswamy has spoken to Shah on the Cauvery issue. We will be grateful if he enlightens us on what was discussed and the solution suggested,’’ he said.

To a question on Bommai’s demand that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi should mediate between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to find a solution, Shivakumar said: “It is clear that he believes in Sonia Gandhi as his party leader Modi is not helping the State.’’

“Both BJP and JD(S) leaders, including Bommai, Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy, must listen to Deve Gowda’s’ advice,’’ he said.