Mekedatu row: Convene all-party meet to defeat conspiracy says PMK

CHENNAI: PMK president and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday accused the Union government of attempting to facilitate Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project by claiming that Tamil Nadu's consent is not mandatory, and urged the State government to convene an all-party meeting to formulate its next course of action.

Anbumani on Tuesday alleged that the Centre was supporting Karnataka in the Mekedatu dam issue by stating that Tamil Nadu's approval was not required for the project, calling it a "dangerous conspiracy" against the interests of the State.

Citing previous assurances by former Union ministers Uma Bharti and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat that Karnataka could not proceed without Tamil Nadu's consent, Anbumani accused both the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in Karnataka of acting against Tamil Nadu's interests.

In a statement, Anbumani referred to a written reply by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary in the Rajya Sabha to a question raised by him. According to the minister's response, the Supreme Court's February 16, 2026 judgment on the Cauvery dispute does not state that Karnataka must obtain the consent of Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Puducherry before undertaking any construction across the Cauvery river.

Rejecting the interpretation, Anbumani argued that the Centre had selectively quoted the judgment while ignoring the continuing validity of the 1892 and 1924 agreements between the Madras and Mysore governments, which, he said, require prior consent from the downstream State before constructing new reservoirs or anicuts.

He further claimed that the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award did not permit new irrigation projects beyond those already recognised and questioned how the Union government could now claim Tamil Nadu's approval was unnecessary. He also demanded an immediate all-party meeting to decide the State's next legal and political course of action.