BJP stages KRS protest against Cauvery water release; Vijayendra, R. Ashoka and others detained
A large number of BJP workers, including the party’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok, were
A large number of BJP workers, including the party’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok, were detained on Friday during a protest outside the KRS reservoir in Mandya near here against what the party termed as the State government’s failure to protect the interests of the Karnataka’s farmers in the Cauvery water dispute. The protesters, who staged a demonstration outside the main entrance to the reservoir and attempted to march towards it, were taken into preventive custody by the police and released later. The Mandya district police had thrown a security blanket around the KRS reservoir in anticipation of the protest.
More than 1,500 police personnel were deployed, while public entry to the Brindavan Gardens was suspended for the day as a precautionary measure. The protest was attended by several senior BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Mr. Ashok, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Sumalatha Ambareesh, former MP, T.S. Srivatsa, Krishnaraja MLA, C.T. Ravi and Raghu Kautilya, MLCs, among others. Addressing BJP workers from Mysuru and Mandya districts who had gathered in front of the reservoir, holding placards and shouting slogans against the Congress government, Mr. Yediyurappa challenged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to demonstrate his commitment to Karnataka’s farmers by refusing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, even if it meant resigning from office.
“If the Chief Minister is truly committed to the welfare of Karnataka’s farmers, he should declare that he is prepared to resign if necessary, but will not release even a drop of water to Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Yediyurappa said. Referring to the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) direction to Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days, he said the State government could have averted the present situation by approaching the Supreme Court in time. He alleged that Congress leaders were more preoccupied with the proposed Cabinet expansion and “waiting outside Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s residence” while the State’s reservoirs and canals had run dry, leaving farmers in distress.
Yediyurappa also urged Mr. Shivakumar to bring Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to the KRS reservoir so that he could witness the prevailing situation and understand that the region could soon face a shortage of even drinking water. Ashok, who also addressed the gathering, alleged that the State government had failed to effectively pursue legal remedies in the Cauvery dispute. Narayanaswamy accused the Congress government of failing to place the actual ground situation before the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC), which, he said, had resulted in the committee directing Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.
The BriefWire