Cauvery row: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah calls all party meet, BJP to boycott meeting

BJP has decided to boycott the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action following Supreme Court’s order directing Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu till September 27.

The party has demanded that the government should call the Assembly session immediately to decide the issue. “I have already spoken to Jagadish Shettar, Ananth Kumar, Sadananda Gowda, we have decided not to attend any meeting called by the Chief Minister on the Cauvery issue,” State BJP Chief Yeddyurappa told reporters in Shivamogga.

“Immediately Assembly session should be called where the issue should be discussed in detail, the decision taken there should be informed to the Supreme Court,” he said. “Despite calling cabinet meeting, floor leaders meeting, all party meeting for three or four times you (government) did not take any specific decision keeping interest of farmers in mind.

At least now immediately assembly session should be called and a clear decision should be taken, there by respecting the public opinion…” he added.

Karnataka will have to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu till September 27, the Supreme Court had on Tuesday said while raising the 3,000 cusecs fixed by the Supervisory Committee. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and U U Lalit has also directed the Centre to constitute within four weeks the Cauvery Water Management Board as directed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its award.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who, has termed the Supreme Court’s order as “unimplementable”, is currently chairing Council of Ministers meeting at Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat to decide on the further course of action.

While JD(S) is expected to attend the all-party meeting, party’s Mandya MP Puttaraju and few legislators from Cauvery basin region have said that they will resign from their posts in protest against the Supreme Court order.
PTI