Congress flays BJP Govt on Cauvery issue

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 to Tamil Nadu in view of the severe drought situation and insufficient rainfall, KPCC President G Parameshwara told reporters here.

He charged the state government with completely failing to put up 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 State government to again file a petition before the CRA to review the direction, and reiterated that a special session of the legislature be convened to discuss the Cauvery issue.