BJP to boycott Cauvery all-party meeting unless State takes a stand against water release: Vijayendra
Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra has announced that his party will boycott an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute. He demands that the state government first commit to stopping water releases to Tamil Nadu before engaging in political discussions.
Why it matters
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-standing political and economic conflict between Indian states that affects agricultural livelihoods.
Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Friday slammed Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s decision to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute, declaring that the party would not participate unless the State government first took a clear stand against releasing water to Tamil Nadu.
Addressing BJP workers during a protest outside the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoir in Mandya district, Mr. Vijayendra alleged that Karnataka had already released about 3.5 tmc ft of water even before Tamil Nadu had formally sought it.
He questioned the rationale behind convening an all-party meeting only after the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water per day for 15 days to Tamil Nadu.
“The government did not call an all-party meeting when it was releasing water earlier,” he said, raising questions over the government’s decision to convene a meeting after the CWMA’s directions.
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