Chennai, July 29:
We The Leaders founder and chief servant K. Annamalai on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Union government of reversing its earlier position on Karnataka’s right to build structures across the Cauvery, alleging that the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers were being compromised for electoral gains in the neighbouring State.
In a statement, Annamalai said the Centre had “discarded” the rights of Tamil Nadu farmers, prioritising political considerations in Karnataka. “The rights of the farmers of Tamil Nadu have been set aside by the BJP-led central government for electoral gains,” he said.
Drawing a contrast with the Centre’s earlier stand, he referred to a statement made in Parliament on August 5, 2021, by then Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. According to Annamalai, Shekhawat had clarified that Karnataka’s permission to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for any structure across the Cauvery was conditional and required the consent of lower riparian States under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act.
Questioning the shift, Annamalai asked why the Union government was now deviating from its earlier position. “Why is the Central Government suddenly making a U-turn on a stand it had already taken?” he said.
He further urged the Centre not to take the people of Tamil Nadu for granted and cautioned against straining the long-standing relationship between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, which he described as one built on mutual respect and cooperation.
The remarks come amid renewed political focus on inter-State river water sharing and infrastructure projects on the Cauvery, a long-standing and sensitive issue between the two States.