M.K. Stalin urges Tamil Nadu CM Vijay to abandon talks with Karnataka
DMK leader M.K. Stalin has publicly criticized Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay for planning to hold talks with Karnataka regarding the Cauvery water dispute. Stalin argues that direct talks are futile and potentially harmful to Tamil Nadu's legal rights over the river water.
Why it matters
The Cauvery water dispute is a long-standing inter-state conflict that significantly impacts regional politics and agricultural stability in Southern India.
DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (July 25, 2026) urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to abandon his “misguided decision” to visit Karnataka for talks with its government on Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery waters.
“If Karnataka refuses to release water to Tamil Nadu, it amounts to contempt of court. Its proposal to construct a dam at Mekedatu is in violation of the Supreme Court’s final verdict. Before taking any further steps on an issue as vital as the Cauvery dispute, the Chief Minister should consult all political parties and representatives of farmers’ associations,” Mr. Stalin said in a statement.
He said the struggle to secure Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery had a long history and that those rights had been firmly established through the legal process.
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