Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar asks TN CM Joseph Vijay to defer visit amidst Cauvery water row

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday appealed to his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Joseph Vijay to defer his proposed August 3 visit to Bengaluru in view of the charged atmosphere in the state following the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) decision upholding the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's (CWRC) direction to Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

His appeal came amid widespread protests across Karnataka, particularly in Mandya, where demonstrators tore posters of Vijay's recently released film 'Jananayagan' and forced theatres at some places to halt its screening. Shivakumar said the state government had initially prepared to host the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for talks but had decided to seek a postponement to ensure the meeting takes place in a peaceful atmosphere after consultations with his Cabinet colleagues and legal team.

He said he had already spoken to Vijay and would again request him to mutually fix another date.

The Chief Minister underlined that Karnataka is a peace-loving state, and it is everyone's responsibility to maintain peace. He noted that many people from Tamil Nadu work in Karnataka, and many Kannadigas work in Tamil Nadu.

"No one should face any hardship. We cannot take decisions based purely on emotions," he said.

Stressing that the postponement was only to ensure a conducive atmosphere for dialogue, Shivakumar said the government had already begun preparations for the visit and was ready to discuss all issues respectfully once the situation normalised.

He said the legal team and Karnataka officials had prepared to discuss all the issues in a respectful manner. Making a strong pitch for Karnataka's long-pending Mekedatu balancing reservoir project across the Cauvery in Kanakapura, his home town, Shivakumar asserted that the project would actually benefit Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka.

"In my view, the Mekedatu project will benefit Tamil Nadu even more than Karnataka. The only direct benefit Karnataka will derive is the generation of about 400 MW of hydropower," he said.

The Chief Minister said the proposed 66 TMC reservoir was only a balancing reservoir and could not be used to expand irrigation in Karnataka.

Referring to the legal position on the project, Shivakumar said the Supreme Court had directed Karnataka to comply with the final award requiring release of 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu, while also recognising Karnataka's right to construct the balancing reservoir.

He also dismissed reports that Karnataka's proposal for the Mekedatu project had been rejected by authorities.

"Some people said yesterday that our proposal had been rejected. That is not correct. It has not been rejected. The authorities have merely sought clarifications. We will carefully study all the observations, submit the required clarifications and continue to pursue the matter strictly within the legal framework," Shivakumar said.

Maintaining that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had a duty to protect their respective interests, the Chief Minister said the state would continue pursuing its legal remedies while also seeking an amicable resolution through dialogue. Shivakumar said the government will hold an all-party meeting on Sunday and, once the atmosphere becomes calmer, he will extend a fresh invitation to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for talks.