NEW DELHI: Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday said the law was on the state’s side in the ongoing dispute over the proposed Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river. Kharge went on to add that that both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu would have to abide by the Supreme Court‘s directions.“The Tamil Nadu PCC president will make statements and do everything within his capacity to protect Tamil Nadu’s interests. Similarly, the Karnataka PCC president, the Chief Minister and all of us are duty-bound to protect our state’s interests,” he said.He further added: “Irrespective of our individual views, the Supreme Court has given directions, and the law is on our side. Whatever happens, it is going to benefit both states. In fact, Mr Shivakumar had offered the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister an opportunity to have a dialogue on this… Everyone has to follow the law of the land”.His remarks come amid a row over the project, with the BJP accusing the Congress of adopting different positions in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Senior BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, on Sunday alleged that the Congress was using the state’s water rights for political gains while its leaders in Tamil Nadu were opposing the project.Ashoka pointed to Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B Manickam Tagore’s description of the Mekedatu project as illegal and his appeal to chief minister C Joseph Vijay to take legal steps to prevent its implementation. He also cited Tamil Nadu Congress MP Jothimani’s opposition to the project.Accusing the Congress of double standards, Ashoka said the party had earlier organised a Mekedatu padayatra in Karnataka under the slogan ‘Our water, our right’, but had remained silent over opposition from its leaders in Tamil Nadu.“Padayatra in Karnataka, legal battle in Tamil Nadu! Slogans in support of Kannadigas in Karnataka, a fight against the rights of Kannadigas in Tamil Nadu! What should one call this double standard of the Congress?” he said in a post on X.On Saturday, Shivakumar had reiterated the Karnataka government’s commitment to pursuing the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, maintaining that the state had the right to build the dam while protecting Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water.
He said Karnataka would seek the necessary clearances and proceed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.What is the Mekedatu project?The Mekedatu project is a proposed multi-purpose balancing reservoir across the Cauvery river near Kanakapura in Karnataka’s Bengaluru South district. It is intended to meet Bengaluru’s drinking water requirements and generate hydroelectric power.Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the project, expressing concerns that its implementation could affect the state’s share of Cauvery water.