Cong flays BJP on Cauvery issue

The opposition Congress on Wednesday criticised the BJP government over its handling of Cauvery row with Tamil Nadu, saying it should not have agreed to release 10,000 cusecs daily and also should have fought its case at the Cauvery River Authority meet instead of walking out.

A general body meeting of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, in a resolution, however, decided to stand by the government’s resolve not to release water in view of the drought situation and insufficient rainfall, KPCC President G Parameshwara told reporters here.

He charged the government with failing to put its case properly before the Supreme Court as also at the September 19 meeting of CRA, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Instead of staging a walk-out, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar should have fought the state’s case at the CRA meeting,” he said.

Referring to the release of 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from September 12 to 20 following Karnataka’s goodwill gesture offer made before the Supreme Court, Paramaeshwara said the state should not have agreed for it in the first place.

He alleged the stage government was trying to politicise the issue by seeking to blame the Prime Minister after the Singh-chaired CRA directed Karnataka to release 9,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu till October 15. Parameshwara suggested to the State government to again file a petition before the CRA to review the direction, and reiterated that it convene a special session of the legislature to discuss the Cauvery issue.