TVK counters MK Stalin on Cauvery, says Vijay government has taken concrete steps against Mekedatu

CHENNAI: Stepping up the political confrontation over the Cauvery river dispute, TVK leader and Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Sunday (July 26) mounted a strong defence of the State government’s handling of the Mekedatu dam issue, accusing DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin of making factually incorrect allegations against the Vijay-led administration.

In a statement, Aadhav said Stalin’s charge that the government had remained passive on the Cauvery issue was completely divorced from facts, asserting that the State has consistently pursued legal, administrative and political measures to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s water rights, protect the livelihood of delta farmers and ensure drinking water security.

The minister said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 27 and strongly opposed Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu reservoir project. During the meeting, the Chief Minister sought the full implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award and the Supreme Court’s February 16, 2018 verdict, while urging the Centre not to grant any approval for the project.

Aadhav said the Chief Minister followed it up with a detailed letter to the Prime Minister on June 19, objecting to Karnataka’s reported move to perform the bhoomi pooja for the project. He reiterated that the Mekedatu proposal cannot be cleared without the consent of the co-basin States, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, and called upon the Centre to issue appropriate directions to the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Central Water Commission.

He further said the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the project and forwarded it to the Prime Minister, seeking immediate intervention. The State, he added, has also been consistently asserting its rights before the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, demanding the timely release of Tamil Nadu’s share of water and opposing Karnataka’s unilateral actions.

Taking the offensive, Aadhav alleged that the previous DMK government had failed to effectively defend Tamil Nadu’s case after successive setbacks in the Supreme Court. “The legal lapses committed during the previous regime have made the Cauvery and Mekedatu dispute more challenging today,” he said.

Maintaining that the Cauvery issue was not one of political rivalry but of Tamil Nadu’s fundamental rights, Aadhav said the Vijay government would continue to pursue every constitutional and legal avenue until the State’s water rights are fully protected. At the same time, he said the government remained open to constructive criticism, irrespective of where it came from, provided it served the interests of Tamil Nadu.