BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said on Sunday that the law favours his state in the ongoing dispute with Tamil Nadu over the proposed Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery River, stressing that both states must abide by the Supreme Court’s directions.
Speaking amid sharp exchanges between the Congress units of the two states, Kharge noted that while the Tamil Nadu Congress chief acts to protect Tamil Nadu's interests, Karnataka’s leadership, including its Chief Minister and state party president, has a duty to defend Karnataka’s interests. He added that the project will benefit both states and pointed out that Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has already offered to hold a dialogue with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R. Ashoka accused the Congress of adopting conflicting positions across state lines. In a post on X, the senior BJP leader pointed to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B. Manickam Tagore calling the dam illegal and urging Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to pursue legal action, alongside opposition from Congress MP S. Jothimani.
Ashoka questioned why the Karnataka Congress, which previously held a Mekedatu padayatra under the slogan "Our water, our right," had stayed silent over objections from its Tamil Nadu counterparts.
On November 14, Shivakumar reaffirmed that Karnataka will seek the required central clearances and build the multi-purpose balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Bengaluru South district in line with Supreme Court orders.
While Karnataka maintains the project will meet Bengaluru’s drinking water needs and generate hydroelectricity without affecting Tamil Nadu’s water share, Tamil Nadu continues to oppose the dam over concerns it could reduce downstream flows.
(With inputs from media reports)