AIADMK chief and Opposition leader Jayalalithaa today demanded the resignation of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on moral grounds since he has failed to ensure release of water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu despite being in power in the state and the Centre.

"Cauvery is the lifeline of Tamil Nadu. He should have anticipated the situation (of Karnataka denying water) and taken action accordingly," she said in a statement here.

Slamming Karunanidhi for his remarks on Thursday that he would not respond to comments on Karnataka's refusal to release water based on media reports as it could affect ties between the two states, Jayalalithaa said Karnataka had not held similar views when a Minister (Basavaraj Bommai) declared his state cannot release water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.

"He should have immediately taken up the matter with the Prime Minister," Jayalalithaa said. Charging Karunanidhi with doing little to uphold Tamil Nadu's rights on the vexed issue, Jayalalithaa said after the final verdict of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 2007, Karunanidhi had twice convened an all-party meet where her party had stressed that the state government should make all efforts to publish the order in the Centre's gazette.

"AIADMK also urged that the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee must be formed without delay, but the ruling DMK has done nothing in this regard," she alleged.

Had the government acted upon her party's recommendations, Karnataka would have released water to Tamil Nadu as per the tribunal order, Jayalalalithaa said.

"Despite being in power at the state and Centre, if Karunanidhi cannot ensure water from Cauvery, he should resign as Chief Minister accepting moral responsibility," she said.

DMK is a part of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre and has representation in the Union Cabinet.