Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to introduce a resolution in the state Assembly opposing Karnataka's plan to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu. The resolution will urge the Centre to withhold technical and environmental clearance, citing concerns that the project would unilaterally affect Tamil Nadu's interests.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is set to introduce a resolution in the state Assembly opposing Karnataka's plan to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu. The resolution will urge the Centre to withhold technical and environmental clearance, citing concerns that the project would unilaterally affect Tamil Nadu's interests.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has appealed to his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Vijay Joseph to defer his proposed August 3 visit to Bengaluru. The request comes amidst widespread protests in Karnataka following a decision by the CWMA upholding a direction for Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.
Change of guard in some states and evolving El Nino dynamics are triggering fresh actions on raging water-sharing disputes in several states.
Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday asserted that his government was committed to protecting the interests of the state's farmers and people on the Cauvery issue, while appealing to organisations to withdraw the proposed state-wide bandh.
Chief ministers from southern states convened at the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Kovalam, where Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar advocated for the 1971 census as the basis for delimitation and a freeze on Lok Sabha seats, while also addressing the contentious Cauvery water and Mekedatu dam issues.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay concluded his first official visit to Delhi, meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss key state issues.
"I don't want to discuss Tamil Nadu or any other state. We have got every right and we are going to start the work," Yediyurappa said in response to a question on Tamil Nadu's objection to the Mekedatu project.
During the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijay raised concerns, including rendering Tamil Thai Vazhthu at the beginning of government events, opposition to Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project, the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen detained by Sri Lanka, and the establishment of a key defence research facility in the state.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday hit out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, alleging the delay in giving approval to the construction of the Mekedatu balancing reservoir over the river Cauvery, and accused neighbouring Tamil Nadu of causing "unnecessary nuisance" on the issue.
Tamil Nadu Governor RV Arlekar announced that the TVK regime, led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, will take steps to ensure fair financial devolution from the Centre, including pursuing the matter in the Supreme Court. The government also plans to conduct a 'Social Justice Survey' and address the state's severe financial deterioration.
The petition stated that the proposed project would affect the flow of the river Cauvery considerably and will severely affect the irrigation in Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu.
As Congress launched its 11-day padayatra seeking early implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water project on Sunday, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar stirred troubled waters for himself as three FIRs have been filed against him on allegations of flouting COVID-19 norms.
The Congress said it will continue their march once the COVID third wave declines and the curbs are relaxed.
As the Congress government in Karnataka completed the halfway mark of its five-year tenure on November 20, the power tussle within the party has intensified over a possible change of guard in the state, with a section claiming an alleged "power-sharing" agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and insisted on demands pertaining to the state, including on Fair Recovery Price of sugarcane, All India Institute of Medical Sciences for Raichur, the release of flood relief among others.
When asked if they discussed the possible changes in the state leadership, he responded with a smile, "I don't know. You have to tell."
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said action will be taken in accordance with law, as he hit out at Congress leaders for going ahead with padayatra (march), demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, by violating government's COVID-19 restrictions.
Fearing political gain for the Congress from the padayatra, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is making 'frustrated attempts' to scuttle it, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday, as their march demanding implementation of the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river, entered its third day.
The court directed the Congress to explain whether they were adhering to COVID norms such as wearing face masks, and maintaining social distancing.
Normal life in Karnataka is likely to be affected on Saturday as pro-Kannada outfits have called for a statewide dawn-to-dusk bandh to protest Tamil Nadu's opposition to Mekedatu drinking water project across the inter-state river Cauvery.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has asserted that alliances are formed only at the time of elections and declined to categorically say if his party would align with the BJP for the 2026 Assembly polls. Palaniswami met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday and brought to his attention several issues faced by Tamil Nadu, including the need for funds release, the implementation of the Godavari-Cauvery river linking plan, and a probe into the "TASMAC scam." He said that while the party would decide on an alliance at the time of the election, he did not rule out a tie-up with the BJP.
Several activists of pro-Kannada organisations were also whisked away by the police at Town Hall, as they gathered there to stage a protest.
Today, with the Lok Sabha polls only months away, any inter-state dispute over the Cauvery water dispute has the potential to take more political turns than otherwise, predicts N Sathiya Moorthy.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday dismissed rumours about his resignation, asserting that these were not at all true, and said Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda had told him to strengthen the party and bringing it back to power in the state.
A total of 16 resolutions were passed in the crucial All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general council meeting held in Chennai on Monday in which Edappadi K Palaniswami was appointed as the party's interim general secretary and O Paneerselvam was expelled for "anti-party" activities.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said he has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the state.
The Members suspended included K Ashok Kumar, R K Bharathi Mohan, M Chandrakasi, Jayakumar Jayavardhan, K Parasuraman, Dr K Kamraj, P Kumar, M Vasanti, C Mahendram, K Margatham and P Nagarajan.
From social engineering to bearing the cost of COVID-19 treatment to financial reconstruction of Tamil Nadu's debt the debutant chief minister is emerging as a leader with a difference, says Shjne Jacob
The Hindutva social media continues to present the DMK especially as anti-god, anti-Hindu and anti-Brahmin. The strategy did not work in the past, it has not worked in the present, and would not work in the future, as a massive vote-getter, asserts N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to give an urgent hearing to a plea of the Tamil Nadu government for setting up the Cauvery management board for implementation of the Cauvery water disputes tribunal award, saying there is "no urgency" for it.
