BSY begins padayatra, urges not to release Cauvery water

Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has urged the state government not to release any water to Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court decision to release 2.44 TMC feet of water from Karnataka is not acceptable, he said.

He was speaking at Srirangapatna during his padayatra to Bangalore from Mysore, to protest against the notification of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal order, which was launched at Mysore on Thursday. “Centre is not aware of the consequences the state will face if the decision by the tribunal is notified,” he said.

“Central government has always favoured Tamil Nadu in its decisions,” he alleged and said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should send a delegation of Supreme Court judges to assess the water condition in the state.

He criticised the state government for its failure in initiating steps to fill the lakes in the region by using the water in the reservoirs, when water was plenty. He held both the central and state governments equally responsible for the water crisis in the state.

Earlier, the yatra was launched in Mysore at the north gate of Mysore palace. He said that the Yatra was to draw the attention of the prime minister to seek an end to the ‘step-motherly treatment’ meted out to the state by the centre.

Speaking in an amicable tone regarding chief minister Jagadish Shettar, he said that he would accompany Shettar to Delhi to convince the argument of the state with the leaders at the centre.

The yatra which began with a strength of more than 300 people, waned to about 200 people near Srirangapatna.

The yatra got a boost as leader of Raitha Sangha, K S Nanjundegowda extended support to the Padayatra, as it reached Srirangapatna at around 6 in the evening. Nanjundegowda said that he had extended support to Yeddyurappa as he had launched the yatra ‘apolitically.’

The yatra will continue on Friday and is scheduled to conclude in Bangalore on February 14.