JOIN USSenior Congress leader Prof B K Chandrashekar on Thursday suggested that all the riparian states of River Cauvery should try to settle the water sharing dispute amicably through talks.
Addressing reporters, he said courts cannot settle any water dispute. So far no river water sharing dispute has been solved in court. Hence, the riparian states should try for an out-of-the-court settlement of the issue, he added.
Though Tamil Nadu knows fully well that the dispute cannot be settled in court, it repeatedly approached the Supreme Court, leading to tension between the two states. The judiciary should bar all states from approaching it seeking justice on river water disputes, he said.
Prof Chandrashekar said the Karnataka government has taken the right stand in stopping the release of water to Tamil Nadu.
“There is acute scarcity of water in the basin region. If more water is released to Tamil Nadu, people in the basin region, especially the farmers, will suffer, he added.”
Gowda criticises MK’s call
Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Thursday criticised Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Karunanidhi for demanding imposition of President’s rule in Karnataka over the stoppage of the release of Cauvery water.
“His (Karunanidhi’s) call for President’s rule is shocking. It will turn the federal system upside down,” Gowda said while speaking at a function organised to mark the 110 birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan at the JD(S) office.
The former prime minister said Karnataka obeyed the court order and released water to the neighbouring state despite facing acute water shortage. But certain leaders in Tamil Nadu were criticising Karnataka for political mileage.
“Our patience should not be misconstrued for weakness. We only want the issue to be resolved amicably. Mounting political pressure will not yield any result,” he added.
Karnataka stopped releasing water only after convincing the Supreme Court that it was not in a position to release more water. Hence, it does not amount to contempt of court, he said. Gowda said the prime minister has the responsibility to treat all the states equally in a federal system and Manmohan Singh should take an appropriate decision on the Cauvery issue in this backdrop.