Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has hit back at the DMK over its call to bring the Cauvery water dispute before Parliament, saying his government has just as much right to raise the matter and will do so through the state's own MPs. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 18, Shivakumar made clear that Karnataka would not sit back while Tamil Nadu's ruling party pushes its case in Delhi.
Shivakumar's Response
Reacting to the DMK's plan, Shivakumar said, "Whatever the Cauvery issue is, it is our right." He added that he intends to travel to Delhi himself and brief Karnataka's Members of Parliament so they can lay out the state's position clearly during the session. According to him, water sharing already runs through an established legal and administrative process, and he pointed out that the Supreme Court has assigned oversight of the matter to the Central Water Commission, meaning any grievance should move through that channel rather than turning into a floor fight in Parliament.
The Mekedatu Project Dispute
Much of the friction between the two states centers on Karnataka's proposed reservoir project at Mekedatu, meant to regulate river flow, which Tamil Nadu has long opposed. Shivakumar rejected that opposition outright, arguing that the structure would actually work in Tamil Nadu's favour rather than Karnataka's. He said he wanted to make that point "very clear" to anyone questioning the state's intentions, framing the reservoir as a regulator that would help manage downstream flow rather than a device to hold back water meant for the neighbouring state.
DMK's Push In Delhi
The exchange follows a virtual meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin held on Thursday with DMK Members of Parliament, where the party decided to press the Union government hard on Tamil Nadu's claims over the Cauvery. The DMK's parliamentary team passed a resolution seeking the Centre's immediate involvement to settle the water-sharing standoff with Karnataka. A party statement said the MPs want the Centre to set up a tribunal on the Mekedatu dam during the Monsoon Session and make sure Karnataka hands over Tamil Nadu's Cauvery share promptly, following the Supreme Court's directions.
A Parliament Showdown In The Making
With both state leaderships now signalling they will take the fight to Delhi, the Cauvery dispute looks set to spill onto the floor of Parliament in the coming session. Karnataka's leadership has already staked out its position on the river's structural arrangements, and the DMK's resolution ensures Tamil Nadu's MPs will press for a tribunal and a Central Water Commission-backed accounting of water releases. The coming Monsoon Session is likely to see both delegations raise the issue directly with the Union government.
