The Tamil Nadu government decided on Friday that it will approach the Supreme Court over the failure of the Centre in constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).
The apex court had in its 14 February judgment asked the Centre to form the board in six weeks time, the deadline to which expired on 29 March.
As the AIADMK-led government faced intense pressure from the Opposition parties, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the government will move the Supreme Court on the issue though he did not reveal what kind of petition his government intends to file.
Other Tamil Nadu ministers have also said that the government will approach the apex court adding that discussions on the approach are being held with legal experts.
Friday was a politically contentious day for the ruling party.
Speaking at a wedding function in Madurai, AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the members of his party will go on a day’s hunger strike on 2 April at all district headquarters to protest the Central government’s failure to set up the CMB.
Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters in Chennai that the state government was “friendly” with the Modi government only to get various developmental projects approved and will fight for its rights.
AIADMK’s S Muthukaruppan resigned from the membership of the Rajya Sabha protesting the Centre’s negligence alleging that the Centre was playing with the lives of the farmers.
PMK activists led by party founder S Ramadoss and former Union minister Anbumani Ramadoss hoisted black flags on their houses.
But main opposition DMK, led by MK Stalin, has been at the forefront of the accusation against the state government over failure in making the Centre constitute the Board.
The DMK brushed aside the AIADMK’s protests against the Centre’s inaction on the CMB. Party’s principal secretary S Duraimurugan had reportedly said that instead of threatening to commit suicide, AIADMK leaders, especially CM Palaniswamy and deputy CM O Panneerselvam, should have gheraoed the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Duraimurugan was referring to the suicide threat issued by AIADMK leader A Navaneethakrishnan.
Stalin had also held a meeting with party leaders in which ideas on the kind of protests to be held across Tamil Nadu were discussed.
Read More: DMK plans to launch protests across Tamil Nadu over CMB
On Thursday, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan had said that Palaniswami had the power to make the Centre constitute the board to overlook the contentious issue of Cauvery water sharing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He had also said that he agreed with the “perception” of political parties in the state that the delay is Centre’s tactics ahead of Karnataka elections.
On Thursday, Rajinikanth, too, had tweeted that the CMB is the only solution to the Cauvery water issue.
“On the Cauvery issue… setting up of CMB will be the only acceptable just solution for us. I sincerely hope justice will prevail,” the actor wrote on Twitter.
The Judgment
In its judgment on 16 February, the Supreme Court reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water and increased Karnataka’s share.
The apex court directed the Karnataka government to release 177.25 tmcft of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from its inter-state Biligundlu dam.
The Supreme Court raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”.
The apex court had given the Centre six weeks to form the Board. The CMB, once formed, is expected to take control of the dams across river Cauvery through which it will distribute waters to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry according to the formula of the Cauvery tribunal.
Tamil Nadu has been demanding creation of the board so that it can be granted the power to open up reservoirs instead of the Karnataka government.