Bommai on Cauvery dispute: ‘Nothing to argue before SC after releasing water to Tamil Nadu’

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 19 (ANI): Karnataka former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday hit out at the state government after it announced to approach the Supreme Court to challenge the order of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) which ordered the state to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, asking if there is any point to do so as Siddharamaiah government has already released the water.
While talking to the reporters, he said that the state government is committing mistakes repeatedly and putting the people of the state in a difficult situation.
He said that if the state government is releasing water as per the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) then there is nothing to argue before the Supreme Court.
He said that the state has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court that it will not release the water after September 12.
“The government must stick to that stand. The affidavit of the government was of great importance and releasing water now means telling lies before the Supreme Court,” he said.
He further alleged that the Congress government is not ready to take the advice made by his party which he claimed to be in “people’s interest”.
"Water Resources and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has said that I have put him in a spot. I am not going to benefit by putting him in quandary and I don't require it. However, the stand of the government has put the farmers and the children in a fix. My suggestions are in the interest of the State but the government is not ready to take our suggestions. The advocates will always give suggestions to release water and we had changed it. Our government never released water stealthily. When you have followed the CWMA orders what's there to tell before the apex court?” Bommai said.
As Shivakumar urged the Centre to intervene in the matter, Bommai said that there was no meaning in going to Prime Minister Narendra Modi now since this issue had been discussed with the PM prior to 1990.
“Now it was irrelevant to discuss it. Taking an all-party delegation to Delhi to meet the PM was nothing but misleading the people,” he added.
He further said that the solution to the present problem was difficult unless the state legal team explained to the apex court the water storage situation in the Tamil Nadu dams and the quantum of the *usgs of water by* them in the Supreme Court.
“The state legal team had been there since the previous BJP regime. Nothing can be done if the state government is not ready to take their suggestions seriously,” Bommai added. (ANI)