The ongoing Cauvery water sharing row has taken political overtones, much to the discomfort of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and his government. On Sunday, senior leaders from the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress indulged in blame game.
Opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaih charged the CM of failing to protect farmers’ interests and demanded for his resignation. “We are not against obeying the court orders, but the government failed to explore and exhaust all legal options. The Chief Minister must take responsibility and resign,” he said adding that the Congress is not a party to the government’s decision to release water.
The Congress, he said, will extend its support to agitating farmers as there is a need to protect standing crops and provide drinking water till May next year. The government had failed to present the facts before the Supreme Court and Cauvery River Authority (CRA); it had not directed its counsel Fali S Nariman to appear before the SC when the case came up for hearing; and committed a mistake by offering to release 10,000 cusecs of water as ‘good-will’ gesture. The CM also made a mistake by walking out of CRA meeting.”
The BJP retorted saying that the Congress leaders at the Centre, including the Prime Minister, are responsible for the current situation. “In 2003, as a leader of Opposition, I had cooperated with the state government when it faced a similar situation. Now, I expect the same from them,” Shettar said, calling the demand for his resignation as a “political gimmick”. Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Union ministers from Karnataka did not come to government’s rescue by explaining the ground realities to the PM.
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