BENGALURU: Amid tensions in the state over the Cauvery issue, Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar postponed talks with his Tamil Nadu counterpart C Joseph Vijay, scheduled to be held on August 3.
The decision was taken because of ongoing protests in the Cauvery basin by Kannada activists and farmer organisations against the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) order to release water to Tamil Nadu. The activists had warned Shivakumar against holding the talks.
Shivakumar on Friday requested Vijay, who had proposed the talks first, to defer their meeting till the situation returns to normal.
Shivakumar, when he was DCM and water resources minister, had proposed that then Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin visit the state, but the latter had declined the offer, he said.
“After the elections in Tamil Nadu, the government changed. Vijay said he would come with his team, but protests do not give us confidence. We should resolve this with goodwill. The situation is not good now. So, I request the Tamil Nadu CM to defer the meeting. I will ask him to choose another date. If they want to protect their state’s interest, we want to protect ours. We are discussing whether this can be resolved amicably,” he said.
The decision is the fallout of Shivakumar holding a meeting of ministers and officials after the CWMA order. The conference hall at Vidhana Soudha had been decked up to host Vijay.
It is inevitable for Karnataka to adhere to the CWMA order, said sources. If talks with Vijay coincide with the release of water, it would project Shivakumar in bad light. That was the reason he postponed the meeting, the sources said.
Shivakumar also wanted to discuss the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project as the Centre, citing the Supreme Court order, had clarified that the state need not take the consent of the neighbouring state to build the dam, provided it adheres to the water sharing agreement. Shivakumar has now prioritised holding an all-party meeting on Sunday and cabinet expansion on Monday.
