State Law Minister S Regupathy has accused Leader of Opposition and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami of demanding a modification in the government resolution regarding the Cauvery issue to protect the BJP-led Union government. This allegation has sparked a political controversy and shed light on the complexities surrounding the Cauvery water dispute.Regupathy criticised Palaniswami’s statement in the State Assembly, claiming that it displayed a lack of understanding of the Cauvery issue and the Supreme Court’s verdict on the matter. According to the Law Minister, Palaniswami’s intention in making such a statement was to shift blame onto the Congress government in Karnataka while safeguarding the interests of the BJP-led Union government.
Regupathy reiterated that the Supreme Court had established a monthly quota of water allocation, which Karnataka must adhere to. To ensure compliance with this court order and prevent direct confrontations between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Union government established the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).
The Law Minister highlighted the fact that Tamil Nadu resorted to legal action in the Supreme Court only after repeated negotiations with Karnataka failed to yield satisfactory results. Therefore, the responsibility for managing the Cauvery waters should squarely rest with the CWMA and CWRC. Regupathy expressed his incredulity at Palaniswami’s call for modification, which appeared to align with the ruling BJP’s interests while ignoring these established authorities.
