Chennai, July 25 (IANS) DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday strongly criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s proposed visit to Karnataka for discussions on the long‑standing Cauvery water dispute, urging him to abandon what he described as a “misguided decision” and instead convene an all‑party meeting before taking any further steps.
In a detailed statement, Stalin argued that Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery had already been firmly established through the judicial process and warned that any attempt to reopen the issue through bilateral discussions could weaken the State’s legal position.
He maintained that Karnataka’s continued refusal to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu amounted to contempt of the Supreme Court’s final verdict and reiterated that the neighbouring State’s proposal to construct the Mekedatu balancing reservoir was itself a violation of that judgment.
Stalin said the Cauvery dispute was not an issue that could be addressed through political symbolism or informal negotiations. Instead, he called on the Chief Minister to first consult leaders of all political parties as well as representatives of farmers’ organisations before pursuing any initiative related to the river water dispute.
The DMK leader also questioned the purpose of the proposed visit, expressing doubts over whether it would yield any tangible outcome.
He alleged that the exercise appeared to be an eyewash, pointing out that the Congress, which is in power in Karnataka, is also an ally of the ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu.
According to him, the visit would only enable the State government to claim that it had made an effort to engage Karnataka directly without producing any concrete benefit for Tamil Nadu.
Accusing the Tamil Nadu government of falling into what he termed “Karnataka’s trap,” Stalin claimed that the neighbouring State’s objective was to dilute Tamil Nadu’s established rights over the Cauvery waters.
He further asserted that farmers in the Cauvery delta were deeply unhappy with the decision to pursue direct talks.
Recalling the previous DMK government’s approach to the dispute, Stalin said his administration had consistently opposed bilateral negotiations with Karnataka, arguing that repeated discussions had failed to produce results because the neighbouring State had not honoured its commitments.
He added that Karnataka’s continued push for the Mekedatu project itself reflected its refusal to recognise Tamil Nadu’s legitimate rights over the Cauvery and reaffirmed the DMK’s long‑standing position that there was no purpose in holding direct talks on the issue.
–IANS
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