DMK president M.K. Stalin has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to convene an all-party meeting over Karnataka’s renewed advocacy of the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery, saying the state must present a united position on the water dispute.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Stalin referred to remarks attributed to Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar that the Mekedatu dam could not be stopped. According to the report published by Dinamalar, Stalin said the remarks had caused concern among Tamil Nadu’s farmers.
Stalin said the Cauvery issue was not limited to water sharing, describing it as a matter historically and emotionally linked to the lives of people in Tamil Nadu. He specifically highlighted the dependence of farmers in the Cauvery delta on the river and said the state government could not remain indifferent to the Mekedatu proposal.
The letter also criticised the Tamil Nadu government’s handling of a proposed visit by Vijay to Karnataka. Stalin said there had been no transparent or official announcement about the visit, while statements from ministers had reportedly created confusion among farmers. He further said that Shivakumar, who had initially invited the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for discussions, later asked him not to visit Karnataka in the prevailing circumstances after opposition from some organisations.
Stalin’s demand comes as the Karnataka Chief Minister has again begun speaking strongly about the Mekedatu dam, according to the report. The proposed project has long been a point of conflict between the two states because Tamil Nadu has opposed construction in the Cauvery basin, while Karnataka has advocated it as an infrastructure project for drinking-water supply and other needs. The supplied report does not provide new project cost, storage-capacity or construction-timeline details.
Stalin has asked the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting to demonstrate political unity and opposition to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s position. He proposed that the resolutions adopted at the meeting, along with the resolution passed unanimously by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in June against the Mekedatu dam, should be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The letter also called for Tamil Nadu Assembly party leaders and all-party Members of Parliament from the state to jointly meet the Prime Minister. Stalin said political parties should set aside individual preferences and party differences on the question of Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery rights.
The report did not state whether the Tamil Nadu government had accepted the request or announced a date for an all-party meeting. The next formal step, according to the demand in the letter, would be an announcement by the state government and the convening of the proposed meeting.
