CHENNAI: DMK president MK Stalin has urged the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery river.

In a letter to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Saturday, Stalin said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's recent remarks on the Mekedatu dam had raised concerns among Tamil Nadu farmers.

Stalin said Shivakumar told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Supreme Court had permitted Karnataka to build the Mekedatu dam and that no one could stop the project.

Stalin said the Cauvery issue was not merely a water-sharing dispute but was also deeply connected with the history and sentiments of the Tamil people.

Recalling previous efforts to facilitate direct discussions between the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to resolve the dispute, Stalin said the people of Tamil Nadu had not received such developments favourably.

He urged the Chief Minister not to remain silent while Karnataka took an aggressive stance on the proposed project.

"The State government should convene an all-party meeting to demonstrate our unity and oppose the Karnataka Chief Minister's statement. The government should also arrange to submit copies of the Assembly resolutions opposing the Mekedatu dam to the Prime Minister," Stalin said in his letter.

He further stressed the need for political parties to set aside their differences and unite to protect Tamil Nadu's rights over the Cauvery waters.

Expressing confidence that the Chief Minister would accept the demand raised by political parties and farmers, Stalin urged him to convene the all-party meeting immediately to discuss the Mekedatu dam issue.