Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy seeks Karnataka to release water from Cauvery

Various political leaders raises protest against Karnataka Assembly decision on Friday to release only drinking water

Chief Minister of Union Territory of Puducherry and Congress leader, V Narayanasamy urged the Karnataka government to release water, according to the directive of the Supreme Court. Various political parties in Tamil Nadu also condemned the Karnataka government's decision of not releasing the water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.

Narayanasamy told reporters that the Karnataka government is adamant that they need water for drinking and cannot release it to Tamil Nadu.

"Karnataka government has the responsibility to obey the order of the Supreme Court," he added. He also sought the Karnataka government to protect the life of Tamil speaking population in Karnataka.

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the ruling party in Tamil Nadu said that the act of Karnataka government is contempt of court and reminded that India is a democratic country, where everyone has to follow the court's order.

"This will set a bad precedence. The law is equal to every one and can a State government go against the legal system?" asked C R Saraswati, leader of AIADMK. She said that while the Karnataka government says that they can release water only for drinking and not for agriculture, while agriculture is also important.

However, she did not comment on what could be the next action of Tamil Nadu. It is the AIADMk leader and State Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who has to take decision regarding this and at present, she is hospitalised and is under the observation of medical experts. She was admitted in the hospital on Thursday night for fever and dehydration.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam principal secretary Durai Murugan has said that the responsibility for the present issue in the Cauvery water sharing is with the central government. He said that the centre should constitute the Cauvery Management Board immediately.

Commenting on the Karnataka Assembly's resolution to release water only for drinking, he raised concerns on the fate of democracy if each state take such position in various issues.

The Karnataka government is taking wrong decisions related to the dispute, said Mutharasan, state secretary of Communist Party of India.

Former Union Minister of Shipping and Tamil Manila Congress leader G K Vasan urged Karnataka to release water by abiding to the Supreme Court order.

It might be noted that the dispute is coming up for hearing in the Supreme Court on September 27.

P R Pandian, leader of Cauvery Delta All Farmers Associations' Coordination Committee, said that the central government has to intervene in the issue and bring an end to the dispute between the two States. He said that in 2013, management of all the reservoirs in Cauvery were handed over to the central government and the Karnataka Assembly has no rights to pass a resolution against sharing water with Tamil Nadu.

It could be noted that the farmers in the region has been conducting various protests in the last few days including protest by standing in the river.