BENGALURU: A sharp rift has surfaced between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu units of the Congress over the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir on the Cauvery River, with leaders from both states trading opposing claims on Saturday.
The disagreement followed Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru on Friday, where he urged the Union government to grant final clearances for the dam. According to ANI, Shivakumar stated at the event that the Supreme Court had delivered a clear verdict in Karnataka’s favour and that no one could stop the project, seeking legal and administrative cooperation from the Centre.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore strongly opposed Shivakumar’s statement in a post on X on Saturday, calling it a violation of both Supreme Court rulings and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award.
Tagore argued that as a lower-riparian state, Tamil Nadu’s full consent is mandatory before any project affecting its water rights can proceed. He warned that approving the dam without Tamil Nadu’s agreement would be illegal, undermine federalism, and harm delta farmers. He also urged the Union government to prevent Karnataka from laying a single brick at the site and called on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to pursue all legal measures.
Karur Congress MP S. Jothimani backed the Tamil Nadu unit’s stand on Saturday, telling ANI that the state’s residents will never surrender their rights over the Cauvery, calling the river their "life and livelihood."
She questioned Karnataka’s past compliance with judicial verdicts and asked why Karnataka leaders were citing the Supreme Court now when Tamil Nadu’s appeal remains pending.
Responding from the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Saturday, Shivakumar rejected the criticism from Tamil Nadu leaders as "purely politics," stating that parties across Tamil Nadu, whether Congress, DMK, or AIADMK, oppose the project due to political compulsions.
Maintaining that building the dam on Karnataka’s land is both the state's right and duty, he assured that Karnataka will protect and release Tamil Nadu’s stipulated 177 TMC share of water.
Shivakumar also invited Tamil Nadu to send a delegation to the Mekedatu site for fact-based discussions so he can explain the project's benefits.
Meanwhile, while the Supreme Court dismissed Tamil Nadu’s earlier challenge as premature in November 2025 and rejected a review plea in May 2026. Karnataka still awaits central forest and environmental approvals before construction can start.
(With inputs from media reports)