Tamil Nadu slams H D Kumaraswamy, terms move on CWMA as ‘political’

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government reacted strongly to Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s intervention on the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), terming it a political move and stating that the TN CM would take a call on the matter.  

“This is Karnataka CM’s political move. He cannot demand to keep in abeyance the functioning of Cauvery Authority at this stage because CWMAis the body now to take any decision and not the CM of Karnataka.  However, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami will take a call on this latest development after going through the demands made by his Karnataka counterpart,” Fisheries Minister and AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar told Express.

Cauvery Rights Retrieval Committee coordinator P Maniarasan took strong exception to Karnataka chief minister’s stand. “Karnataka did not honour the interim award of the Tribunal given in 1991. Later, it did not honour the final award given in 2007 too.  Now, that State indicates that it would not honour the scheme cleared by the Supreme Court too. Karnataka chief minister had only conveyed this by making many demands,” he said.

Maniarasan further explained that Kumaraswamy’s demand for discussing the Scheme in Parliament would not apply now.  Such a possibility was there only at the stage of Tribunal passing the award. Now, the Supreme Court had modified the Tribunal award and declared it final and that this cannot be challenged before the court for the next 15 years..”

“The Supreme Court had already disposed all cases on Cauvery disputes and since the Scheme to implement the final award of the Tribunal is in place, the dispute has come to a finality. For the next 15 years, no one can approach the court against this,” political analyst Tharasu Shyam said.  Shyam, further, said there was no need for Parliament to deliberate on this issue.  “Now, the Central government should not give in to the demands of Karnataka. Instead, direct that State to immediately nominate its members to the Cauvery Authority.  If it is not happening, people will lose the hope in the federal system in the country,” he said.

VCK general secretary Thol Thirumavalavan told Express that Central government should not act in favour of Karnataka. “At the first instance, Centre has succeeded in forming a powerless authority to implement the final award of the Tribunal. The present governments at the Centre and in Tamil Nadu are cheating the people of the State.