Mahadayi row: Assembly seeks PM's intervention

The Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in resolving the Mahadayi issue, amid an uproar by the BJP, which attacked the government on the grounds that it was politicising the issue.

The resolution, moved by Minister for Water Resources M B Patil, sought the prime minister to intervene by facilitating a dialogue between Karnataka and the chief ministers of Goa and Maharashtra. The government dubbed it as a unanimous resolution. The JD(S), in the absence of its party floor leader H D Kumaraswamy, supported the resolution.

Leader of the opposition Jagadish Shettar vehemently argued that the matter was before the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal and hence there was no need to pass such a resolution.

“When the matter is pending before the tribunal, how can this House pass a resolution seeking the prime minister’s intervention? Moreover, the chief minister has called for an all-party meeting on April 2. As there are legal ramifications, the other states can take advantage of the situation. Don’t politicise the issue,” Shettar said. He also demanded the government write to opposition leaders of Goa and Maharashtra.

RDPR Minister H K Patil said that earlier, when disputes pertaining to river Krishna, Cauvery and border issues were before tribunals or the Supreme Court, the legislature had passed such resolutions, as there were no legal hurdles.

BJP MLA Basavaraj Bommai contended that when the State legislature had passed a resolution pertaining to Cauvery, it had become a contempt of court, following which the State government had tendered an apology to the Supreme Court.

Joining in on the issue, JD(S) MLA Y S V Datta attacked the BJP stating that the party’s intent was to save Modi from “embarrassment.” When Law Minister T B Jayachandra too maintained that there would be no legal ramifications, Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa allowed the adoption of the resolution.