The Karnataka government is behaving indifferently over the Cauvery water row and if it continues to neglect such an important issue, then pontiffs, farmers and the citizens of Bengaluru will become rebels, warned former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
Talking to reporters after a meeting with the party office-bearers of the Cauvery basin districts regarding the next course of action on the Cauvery issue here on Friday, he said the incumbent government had created a big problem for the whole state on this issue and had been committing mistakes from the day one. The state had to release 7.5 TMC ft of water to Tamil Nadu due to not presenting the case effectively before the Supreme Court. Even after this, the government has not disclosed its course of action before the people of the State. If this continues, the BJP would view this seriously and hold protests in the Cauvery basin districts.
Wanted water guarantee
The former CM said the current Congress Government, in the name of guarantees, had been implementing half by imposing new conditions. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said Bengaluru is an international city and repeatedly said ‘Brand Bengaluru’. But, he would never talk about the drinking water for Bengaluru. “We want the water guarantee. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has directed to give a separate 4.5 TMC ft of water exclusively to Bengaluru City and the present government was not ready to mention about it.
The neighboring Tamil Nadu had illegally grown the crops by making additional use of water and the Karnataka Congress Government has not spoken about it. The monsoon has ended in Karnataka but is expected in Tamil Nadu in the coming days. All these factors must be brought to the notice of the Supreme Court. If we talk about it, they accuse us of doing politics. But the Congress government is doing politics to cover up its failures. Our Congress leaders are not ready to talk to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin and instead, they point the fingers towards the Government of India. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is an expert in this regard.
Protest against the government
Bommai said the Congress leaders turn towards the Centre in case of drought. There was no rule that the state government must not distribute relief. The previous BJP Government distributed double the compensation amount the Government of India gave to the flood victims. The people of Karnataka have given power but the incumbent government has cheated them. The BJP will hold a protest near Mysore Bank Circle in Bengaluru tomorrow (Saturday) against the failures of the Congress Government. In the coming days, protests would be held in all the 28 parliamentary constituencies in the State. “We must exhibit unity when it comes to land, water or language due to which they are giving full co-operation to the government. But we will talk if the government fails to adhere to the decision taken in the all-party meeting against the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Why did the government fail to file an interim application in Supreme Court?”
Asked whether the State government must promulgate an ordinance, Bommai said the Supreme Court had quashed the ordinance promulgated by the government previously.