Palaniswami slams Karnataka govt DMK over Cauvery issue

Chennai: AIADMK chief and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday slammed the Karnataka government for “refusing” to accept a Cauvery panel directive on water release to his state, and lashed out at the “inaction” of Chief Minister M K Stalin on the inter-state river dispute.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said an appeal will be filed against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s (CWRC) directive to his state to release one tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily till the end of this month.

Karnataka “refusing” to heed the CWRC directive is “strongly condemnable,” Palaniswami said in a post on social media platform X.

“It is not acceptable for Karnataka to remain adamant by refusing to accept an order passed keeping in mind the views of the states where the Cauvery river flows,” he added.

Hitting out at the Tamil Nadu chief minister, Palaniswami alleged that Stalin was only “focusing on publicity photoshoots”, and accused him of compromising on the state’s livelihood rights in exchange for Congress’s support. The national party is an ally of the ruling DMK.

This shows Stalin’s “continued inaction,” the former chief minister charged.

The AIADMK general secretary alleged that while Stalin “grandly” talks about state rights in public, he is “playing with the livelihood of people due to his inaction, which is condemnable.”

He urged the CM to take firm action on the matter, considering the welfare of the farmers in the Cauvery delta region and ensure Tamil Nadu’s due share of water from the river.