Tamil Nadu Congress Leader Criticizes Karnataka CMs Stance on Mekedatu Dam Construction

Chennai, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : Manickam Tagore, the president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, has sharply criticized Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for his recent comments regarding the Mekedatu dam construction. During an event in Mysuru attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shivakumar stated that “no one can stop the construction of the dam” and urged the central government to grant final approval for the project.

Tagore condemned this statement as “extremely deplorable,” asserting that it openly violates the Supreme Court’s ruling and the final decision of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. He described the Chief Minister’s stance as rigid and contrary to the principles of federalism, which he claims threatens the livelihoods of farmers in Tamil Nadu.

In his statement on social media, Tagore appealed to the central government to refrain from permitting the construction of the Mekedatu dam. He emphasized that Tamil Nadu is a lower riparian state in the Cauvery river water-sharing arrangement, and Karnataka cannot unilaterally implement projects that affect Tamil Nadu’s rights.

Tagore insisted that the central government should not grant approval for the Mekedatu project without the full consent of the lower riparian states. He warned that such approval would not only be illegal but also detrimental to farmers in the delta districts of Tamil Nadu. It is the government’s duty to prevent Karnataka from even laying a single brick for the dam, he asserted.

He further declared that the Tamil Nadu Congress would not allow this project to proceed and vowed to fight for the rights of his state. Tagore announced plans to visit Thanjavur to discuss the matter in detail, reaffirming Tamil Nadu’s commitment to protecting its interests and the rights of its farmers without compromise.