Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said the Congress's MLC poll win shows a rift in the BJP-JD(S) alliance. On the Mekedatu dam, he said Karnataka will proceed legally despite Tamil Nadu's unanimous resolution against the project.
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Friday said that the Congress party's strong performance in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections reflected growing discontent among Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (Secular) legislators over the alliance between the two parties. The Karnataka Minister said the outcome demonstrated a lack of leadership within the BJP-JD(S) alliance. Reacting to the results, Kharge said, "If 11 votes of BJP and JD(S) have come to Congress, it is an indication that their MLAs are against the coalition politics of both parties, and it is a clear validation that BJP and JD(S) have no leadership. It is an outright rejection."
Mekedatu Dam Dispute
Meanwhile, responding to the Tamil Nadu Assembly passing a resolution against the proposed Mekedatu dam project, Kharge said Karnataka would continue to pursue its interests within the legal framework and asserted that the neighbouring state was free to seek legal remedies. "The Tamil Nadu government is free to pass whatever resolution they want. It is not our business what resolutions they pass. Already, there is an order by the Supreme Court, and if they want to go ahead with a legal battle or find a legal remedy for this, they are welcome to do so. We are not trying to take away anybody's rights. Whatever excess is flowing, that is all we are trying to harness for our people. And legally, whatever needs to be done, they can also do, just as we are free to do," Kharge said.
He maintained that Karnataka was not attempting to infringe upon the rights of any other state and was only seeking to utilise excess water flowing through the river system for the benefit of its people.
Tamil Nadu Assembly's Unanimous Resolution
The Mekedatu project has remained a contentious issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, with the latter expressing concerns over its potential impact on water availability downstream. Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution moved by Chief Minister Vijay opposing the Mekedatu Dam. The resolution received support from Congress, VCK in the House, marking a unanimous stand by the state assembly against the project.
The resolution emphasises that any such project would violate existing legal frameworks and the rights of the people of Tamil Nadu. The resolution moved by the Chief Minister stated, "This August House records its strong objection to the unilateral attempt of the Government of Karnataka to construct a dam across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu, without respecting the Final Award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal dated 5.2.2007 and the Judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 16.2.2018, without obtaining the concurrence of the concerned basin States, and without securing any approval from the Union Government. Such an action is not at all acceptable."
The resolution further calls upon the Central Government to withhold all necessary clearances for the project. "This August House urges the Union Government not to grant any form of approval, including technical and environmental clearances, to the Mekedatu Dam Project proposed by the Government of Karnataka,'' the resolution states.
Highlighting the water scarcity in the region, the resolution noted, ''The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Hon'ble Supreme Court have observed that the Cauvery Basin is a deficit basin and that the total available water in the basin has already been apportioned among the basin States. Therefore, no new project can be undertaken in the Cauvery Basin, nor can any additional quantity of water be utilised.''
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