'Even Enemy Countries Hold Talks': Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Defends Karnataka Outreach On Cauvery Issue

Chennai: Invoking diplomacy between hostile nations to defend his proposed outreach to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Friday said there was nothing wrong with neighbouring States holding talks to resolve the Cauvery dispute, even as he reiterated that his government would not compromise on the State's rights over the river.

Replying to a special calling attention motion on the Cauvery water-sharing issue and the proposed Mekedatu dam in the Legislative Assembly, Vijay said his earlier proposal to travel to Bengaluru for talks with the Karnataka government had been entirely his own. “When even enemy countries hold talks to resolve disputes, there is nothing wrong with neighbouring States holding discussions,” he said.

The Chief Minister said he had viewed his outreach as a sincere attempt to find a solution to a long-standing dispute, despite the political criticism it drew.

“I only thought about it and sought to do it. There were many views and opinions on my proposed visit to Bengaluru. I saw it as a positive step towards resolving the problem. Even if I had to face humiliation in that attempt, I was prepared to do so for the sake of the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said, thanking those who had expressed support for the initiative.

Describing the Cauvery as Tamil Nadu’s lifeline and an emotional issue, Vijay said his government did not have “even an iota of intention” to politicise the dispute. At the same time, he stressed that the State remained firmly committed to pursuing legal remedies to safeguard its rights.

Reaffirming the government’s opposition to Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir, the Chief Minister said the State had followed up its unanimous Assembly resolution against the project by writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after finding that the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti had not presented the complete facts relating to the project.

In its communication, the State cited the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court’s judgment, urging the Centre not to grant administrative or any other approval for the construction of the dam.

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“Whether it is the sharing of Cauvery water or the construction of the Mekedatu dam, our government will never compromise on Tamil Nadu's rights. That is our stand,” Vijay asserted.

Seeking to place the issue in historical perspective, he referred to the Assembly debate in 1969 after Karnataka decided to construct dams across the Cauvery. Without naming any political party, Vijay said he would not indulge in “cheap politics” by asking who had permitted those projects, arguing instead that the river dispute should be handled with utmost care.