Cooperate with us on Mekedatu, DK Shivakumar tells Tamil Nadu
He said the reservoir at Mekedatu will help TN more than Karnataka, and that drinking water from the project to Bengaluru will benefit Kannadigas, Tamilians, and Andhrites
Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said TN was entitled to hold an all-party meet on Cauvery and his govt did not have an objection to it. Photo: X | @DKShivakumar
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Irrigation Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday (July 16) urged Tamil Nadu to cooperate on the Mekedatu project stating that the project helps Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka.
“The balancing reservoir at Mekedatu will help Tamil Nadu more than Karnataka. The water stored in the Mekedatu reservoir helps us release water in a timely manner to Tamil Nadu. There are Kannadigas, Tamilians, and Andhrites in Bengaluru, and drinking water from the project will benefit all of them. I appeal to them to cooperate on this,” he said, while talking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha.
“Like we held an all-party meet on Cauvery, Tamil Nadu too is holding an all-party meeting. They are entitled to do so and we don’t have an objection to it. But they should cooperate with us as it benefits them,” he said, replying to a question on the all-party meet organised by Tamil Nadu.
‘Rains have come to our rescue’
“Rains have picked up in the State from Monday and the inflow into the Cauvery basin reservoirs has increased. We are releasing 20,000 cusecs from Harangi reservoir. The rains have come to our rescue,” he added.
Asked if Karnataka would release water to Tamil Nadu if the rains continue, he said, “Of course we will release water to Tamil Nadu. When water levels rise, we have to release water,” he said.
‘Kumaraswamy does not care about Karnataka’
Asked about Union Minister Kumaraswamy’s statement that he did not want to attend the all-party meet just for “cashews and raisins” offered at the meeting, he said, “We did not call JDS party representatives to eat cashews and raisins at the meeting. If that was the case, why were the JDS representatives sent for the meet? Kumaraswamy is a specialist in ‘hit and run’ comments. He doesn’t care about Karnataka.”
Asked why Kumaraswamy was launching a personal attack against him, he said, “It is sheer jealousy. He is used to it. I have challenged him to discuss all issues openly, but he is not ready. He did not even come to the session when we wanted to have a discussion with him in the last Assembly session.”
CBI ‘torturing’ people working with us
Replying to a query on the Supreme Court rejecting his application for closure of the CBI case, he said, “The case has been handed over to the Lokayukta and it is investigating the case now. I don’t understand why the CBI is trying to investigate something which is not in its jurisdiction. I haven’t done anything wrong. I will present my case before them in a few days. They are torturing people who are working with us in the guise of investigation.”