Opposition backs Karnataka Govt, says don't release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu

The opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular), in Karnataka on Saturday expressed their solidarity with the Siddaramaiah led-government, and asked the Chief Minister to abide by the resolution adopted in the state assembly.

The Karnataka assembly had on September 23 unanimously passed a resolution stating that "it is imperative for the State government to ensure that no water is drawn from the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin except for drinking water requirements of villages and towns in the Cauvery basin and for the entire city of Bengaluru."

"The BJP is with the government and whatever decision the government takes, we will stand by them. We have suggested to the Chief Minister not release the water, and he should abide by whatever the decision has been taken in the assembly," BJP leader Shobha Karandlaaje said.

"We have given the suggestion not to release the water and not to send any representative for the appointment to the Water Management Board member," said JDS state president D Kumaraswamy.

Hours after the meeting concluded, Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said the Chief Minister will take a decision after considering the support it garnered from the opposition parties.

"We have a cabinet meeting at 6 o'clock, where we will deliberate upon the discussion that we had at the all-party meet," Parameshwara told ANI.

The Supreme Court on Friday asked Karnataka to discharge 6,000 cusecs water from Saturday till October 6, while warning that "no one would know when the 'wrath of the law' would fall on it".

It ordered all the stakeholders - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pudduchery - to give names by 4 pm on Saturday of their representatives to be included in the board, which would be chaired by the Union Water Resources Minister.

The apex court gave the last opportunity to the Siddaramiah government to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from October 1-6, despite a unanimous resolution passed by both house of Assembly.

The court noted that despite being a state, Karnataka is flouting the order and creating a situation when the majesty of law is dented, adding that the court would have proceeded to take steps for strict compliance of the order, but it had directed the Cauvery Water Management Board to first study the ground realities and submit a report.