Cauvery Water Dispute: Yediyurappa, Bommai To Skip ‘special Emergency Meet’

Former Karnataka Chief Ministers BS Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP, along with JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, will skip the “special emergency meeting” called by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday to discuss the Cauvery river water dispute.

Following the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC)’s recommendation on Tuesday that Karnataka release 5,000 cusecs of water every day for the next 15 days to Tamil Nadu, CM Siddaramaiah called for an all-party meeting. Bommai and Kumaraswamy said they are preoccupied with prior commitments and hence cannot attend meetings, while Yediyurappa, who is in Delhi to attend the BJP central election committee meeting, said he will not be able to participate.

Bommai took to X and said, “The state government has invited a meeting late last night to discuss the Cauvery issue. However, I am unable to attend the meeting called by the government as I have a pre-planned programme in my constituency. Our stand on the Cauvery issue is clear. The state government should not release water to Tamil Nadu under any circumstances. The state government should apprise the Supreme Court and the CWMA of the ground realities in the state.

Following the CWRC’s recommendation, Siddaramaiah held an emergency meeting on Tuesday regarding the next steps to be taken. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, several senior ministers and officials, including Chief Secretary Vandita Sharma, and Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor A. S. Ponnanna participated in the meeting.

Shivakumar made it clear that Karnataka is in no position to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu as it doesn’t have enough water storage due to a lack of adequate rainfall in the river basin region.

He had said that the matter is going to come before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), in a couple of days, and Karnataka will vehemently put forward its stand before it.