Karnataka CM criticises PM for Cauvery release order

Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the September 19 order of the Cauvery River Authority, headed by the PM, on release of water to Tamil Nadu, and said it had no basis and was an "injustice" to the state.

Shettar left Bangalore on Sunday to meet the prime minister, who is the chairman of the Cauvery River Authority, to discuss the latest developments on the issue and personally file the petition seeking review of the order to release 9,000 cusecs daily to Tamil Nadu from September 19 to October 15.

The chief minister, who returned to Bangalore on Tuesday after the prime minister refused to meet him, confirmed to reporters, in response to questions, that an appointment was not given, and the petition was filed at the Prime Minister's Office.

"The CRA order (by PM) has no basis at all. The decision was taken without any proper discussion," he said.

He said at the September 19 meeting, he had told the prime minister that the order was an injustice to Karnataka and it would lead to severe consequences.

Karnataka had stated that an expert committee should be sent to the state first to assess the ground realities before any decision was taken, but that appeal was not considered.

On the Tamil Nadu government's decision to file a contempt plea against the state, Shettar said the legal team would be consulted for taking a decision on the matter.