Assembly showdown between Vijay and Udhayanidhi on Cauvery issue

Joseph Vijay, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, justified his demand for a bilateral dialogue with Karnataka about the Cauvery water dispute in the Assembly on Friday by saying that he is ready to accept any “humiliation” in case dialogue can ensure the protection of the state’s interest.

Vijay made the statement amidst a tiff with the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, over the Karnataka proposal for constructing the Mekedatu dam. Refuting the demand of Udhayanidhi for holding an all-party meeting, Vijay said that Tamil Nadu will never sacrifice its water rights and asked the opposition not to politicise the issue. He reminded that a resolution on the matter of Mekedatu had been passed in the Assembly earlier and forwarded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other documents concerning Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s rulings.

Vijay went on to mention, in the backdrop of history of this issue going back to debates held in Assembly since 1969, that while the stance of Tamil Nadu in this regard had shifted through the years from a legal route to a bilateral dialogue, he did not have any intention of referring to old rulings for his own political gain. He made it clear that seeking a dialogue with Karnataka was not a deviation from the legal stand of the state. Addressing concerns that such an initiative might end in an embarrassment for the state, Vijay said he was willing to take that risk for the people of Tamil Nadu.

Udhayanidhi questioned the government’s reluctance to convene an all-party gathering, pointing out that Karnataka had already united its own political factions on the issue. The DMK leader pressed for a clear answer on whether an all-party meeting would be called and sought clarity regarding contradictory statements from ministers about whether Vijay planned to visit Karnataka, particularly after the Karnataka Chief Minister publicly advised against the visit.

The debate also spilled over into domestic welfare policies, with the two leaders sparring over the implementation of a Rs 134-crore relief package and drought assistance. In response to the criticism about the allocation of the money, Vijay felt that it was because of not following the news reports that the Opposition would have been better informed, which prompted Udhayanidhi to ask for the official information concerning the assistance and a time frame for the waiver promise made by the government.

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