“The Supreme Court will take note of their decision at the next hearing on September 20”, chief secretary Arvind Jadhav told ET. “However, considering the constitutional position of the Supreme Court, wherein defying its directions is not an option, the Cabinet has resolved to release water from tonight”.
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“There is pain among Kannadigas that Karnataka has been facing repeated injustice over Cauvery river water sharing issue”.
He said the first order passed on September 5 itself was hard and yesterday’s was “most difficult” to follow. But with successive poor monsoons, rivers and reservoirs have been running dry and farmers in many places have been forced to cut the number of crops they grow. The first order put the state in hard situation, while the second one is a direction which can not be implemented.
The chief minister had earlier in the day held a meeting with senior Congress leaders, including Mallilkarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily, Oscar Fernandes and others, to seek their suggestions on tackling the Cauvery crisis. “We do not want a Constitutional crisis”, Siddaramaiah also said. “We will take stringent action against them”. We are making arguments before the Supervisory Committee and also continue before the Supreme Court as well.
“I will personally appeal to the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of four states”.
This issue has created wide spread protest in Tamil Nadu, and it is expected to aggravate in coming days.
TN CM Jayalalithaa too wrote to Siddaramaiah expressing serious concern over the violence against Tamils and their properties in Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah assured the people that there will be no cause for concern when drinking water is concerned. It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of every citizen and we will do exactly that.
Vehicles with Tamil Nadu registration plates have been attacked and protesters have blocked roads by burning tyres and torching effigies of politicians.
Top police officer N.S. Megarikh said there has been no major incident after the imposition of curfew in parts of the city on Monday night.
Karnataka Home Minister mentioned: ” I request people of Karnataka to please maintain peace in the state, don’t take law in your hands.
These additional contingents will assist the state police even as three such RAF units and an all-women Central Reserve Police Force company have already been deployed in Karnataka in view of the violent protests.
He also announced Rs.10 lakhs to the family of the deceased who was killed in police firing during the protests. Till then, the primary duty of the governments must be to ensure peace and enable unrestricted movement of people – which is what makes both Chennai and Bengaluru cosmopolitan and prosperous. Such violence and destruction of property negates the rule of law and ultimately impacts the life of common man, he said.
“Highlighting such incidents visually and otherwise might incite further violence”.
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Despite the state government official’s statement to some TV channels that the schools will be opened on Wednesday, the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka categorically said that the private schools will remain shut, not to put children at risk. “This is brand Bengaluru, let us all protect it”, he also said.
