Cauvery: TN counsel makes veiled attack on PM in SC

The bitter legal battle over Cauvery water sharing among four southern riparian states in the Supreme Court today saw the Tamil Nadu counsel making a veiled attack on the Narendra Modi government.

"Someone boasts that he works 24x7 for the citizens. We believe that the Government of India works on Sundays and Saturdays also," senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, said in the court without taking any names.

He took a dig at the Centre over the delay in finalising the Cauvery scheme while opposing the plea of Attorney General K K Venugopal that the Centre be granted time till May 14 as the Prime Minister and his colleagues cannot hold a cabinet meeting to approve the Cauvery management scheme due to ongoing poll campaign in Karnataka.

In a retort, the Attorney General asked: "Who says that?"

"Do you (AG) want me to quote? Ask any reporter here, they will tell you," the Tamil Nadu counsel responded.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud then proceeded with dictating the order in the case, warning the Centre that it was "sheer contempt" on its part not to have finalised the water sharing scheme despite the February 16 order.

The court also summoned the Secretary of Union Water Resources Ministry on May 14 and asked him to bring the draft Cauvery scheme.