Chennai: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday urged chief minister C Joseph Vijay, who is travelling to New Delhi on Monday, to raise the Mekedatu dam dispute with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and ensure that Karnataka drops its plan to build a reservoir across the Cauvery.AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran and Tamil Maanila Congress president G K Vasan also urged Vijay to prevent the dam and uphold Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery river. Vijay is scheduled to participate in the release of Sonia Gandhi’s memoir on Monday, an event Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar is also attending.In a statement on X, Palaniswami condemned Shivakumar’s remarks at official events and in public that Karnataka could build the dam without Tamil Nadu’s consent. “It is condemnable for a CM of one state to make such statements, which could create discord between the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka,” Palaniswami said.He noted that the Supreme Court had delivered a clear verdict stating that an upper riparian state cannot undertake any construction activity without the consent of lower riparian states. “The Congress govt in Karnataka neither respects the Supreme Court verdict nor implements the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s directions to release Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of water,” he said.“The TVK govt too has failed to secure Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water, affecting this year’s kuruvai and samba cultivation. I urge CM C Joseph Vijay to raise the issue of the Karnataka CM’s statements with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. He should urge them to ensure that Karnataka abides by the Supreme Court verdict,” Palaniswami added.Dhinakaran said Vijay should exert pressure on Karnataka through the Congress high command to put an end to the Mekedatu dispute. “The Karnataka CM is getting assertive about Mekedatu because Vijay is acting in a selfish manner. Shivakumar’s statements are condemnable, yet Vijay is not even criticising the remarks,” Dhinakaran said.Vasan said Shivakumar’s statement in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that “Karnataka will build Mekedatu,” along with his twisted reading of the Supreme Court ruling, was unacceptable. “I urge the Tamil Nadu govt to uphold farmers’ rights,” he said.
