AIADMK accuses DMK of Cauvery drama

Drama is another nomenclature by which the opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) can be identified with, when comes to the Cauvery water sharing dispute, said the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) on Sunday.

AIADMK leader C R Saraswathi told ANI, "It is a drama by the DMK. This problem is going on for 100 years and for 20 years, the DMK was in power with the help of central government, and for the last 10 years they were helping the Congress, yet they did not finish the Cauvery issue, otherwise they would have got water within no time. Now, they are making political drama as the matter is in court."

"The Supreme Court has given a very good result for Tamil Nadu. Only because of our Chief Minister, this Cauvery has come to Tamil Nadu. Once it is in the court, then what is the use of making political drama," she added.

DMK Treasurer and Opposition leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly M K Stalin has convened an all-party meeting on October 25 to discuss the Cauvery issue. The Dravidian party's allies, the Congress and the IUML, have confirmed their participation, even as the BJP has ruled itself out.

Stalin said that the October 25 meeting was being held following pleas from various quarters, including Cauvery delta farmers and public to "exert serial pressure" on the Cauvery issue.

The Supreme Court has reserved order on maintainability on appeal of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the Cauvery Tribunal's order of 2007. Meanwhile, 2000 cusecs per day of water will be provided to Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had on October 18, directed the Karnataka government to keep releasing 2,000 cusecs of water per day to Tamil Nadu till further orders.

The Cauvery dispute dates back to 1892 when an agreement was filed between Madras Presidency and Mysore for arbitration but led to a fresh set of disputes. Later, attempts were renewed to arbitrate between the two states under the supervision of Government of India and the second agreement was signed in 1924.

With Kerala and Puducherry also staking claims to a share of Cauvery water after India attained independence, a fact finding committee was set-up in 1970 to figure out the situation on ground.

The committee submitted its report in 1972 and further studies were done by an expert committee and the states reached an agreement in 1976.

However, after a new government came to power in Tamil Nadu, it refused to give consent to terms of the agreement paving way for further dispute.