Cong afraid DMK might pull out of INDIA: Pro-Kannada outfit stages protest against govt

BENGALURU: Members of an organisation, led by pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, staged a 'Raj Bhavan Gherao' protest on Wednesday over the Cauvery water-sharing issue. The protest against a directive of the Cauvery Water Management Board, asking the Karnataka government to share its waters with neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was held in the state capital, Bengaluru.

Speaking to reporters during the protest, Nagaraj said, "The Karnataka government is silent on the Cauvery issue. It is afraid that the (MK) Stalin government in Tamil Nadu might pull the DMK out of the INDIA bloc and has, hence, agreed to release Cauvery waters to the neighbouring state."

"If this government keeps releasing the waters this way, the people of Bengaluru would soon go dry and farmers, too, would run out of water for irrigating their fields. We demand that the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu be stopped at the earliest," he said. Meanwhile, DMK leader TKS Elangovan said Karnataka has to release waters from the Cauvery as no state can claim sole ownership of a river.

Speaking to ANI, Elangovan said "They (Karnataka) have to release waters from the Cauvery. No state can claim sole ownership of a river. They have to comply with the order of the Cauvery Board. As per an internationally agreed settlement, the supply of water cannot be denied to lower riparian lands. The BJP wants to create a divide between the DMK and the Congress. This is a matter between the two states and they want to turn it into a political issue between two parties. The Central Water Commission has to ensure that they release the Cauvery waters as directed by the Supreme Court."

Complying with the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority, Karnataka has been releasing 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu. The order will remain in force till October 15 when the Authority will meet again.

Earlier, on Tuesday, pro-Kannada organisations held a protest at Bengaluru Rural's Hoskote over the Cauvery water-sharing issue. Led by Nagaraj, the protesters blocked the National Highway near the Hoskote toll, connecting Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh. Some activists were detained for blocking the National Highway. Earlier, on October 5, Mandya police detained members of pro-Kannada organisations holding a protest over the Cauvery issue.

The governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have been locked in a protracted tussle over the sharing of Cauvery waters.

The river is seen as a major source of sustenance for the people in the two states. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had earlier expressed his disappointment on the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to release 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu between September 28 and October 15.

The Cauvery water-sharing issue has snowballed into a hot-button political issue in Karnataka, with former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai accusing the state government of "lacking" the "will" to protect farmer's interests.