A fierce intra-party battle erupted inside the Congress over the Cauvery river after Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to push through final clearances for the contentious Mekedatu dam project.
Tamil Nadu Congress President Manickam Tagore lashed out on Saturday, accusing his party colleague of pursuing a stubborn, unilateral agenda that endangers the livelihoods of delta farmers downriver. The confrontation exposes severe regional fractures within the party. Congress rules Karnataka outright, yet it sits as an alliance partner in the Vijay-led administration across the border in Tamil Nadu.
The flare-up followed Shivakumar’s direct appeal to Prime Minister Modi during an official engagement in Mysuru on Friday. Turning directly to the Prime Minister, the Karnataka Chief Minister demanded immediate central backing to bypass inter-state objections.
Sir, you just saw the dam on the Cauvery. The Supreme Court has delivered a clear verdict to all of us that Mekedatu has to be built in Karnataka, and no one can stop it. We want you to help us legally.
DK Shivakumar, Karnataka Chief Minister
Tagore pushed back swiftly. In a sharp public statement, the Tamil Nadu party chief charged Shivakumar with blatantly disregarding both the Supreme Court's directives and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final award. Federalism, Tagore argued, prohibits an upper-riparian state from unilaterally choking or altering river flows at the expense of farmers downstream.
Political stakes escalated immediately across the Cauvery delta. Tagore announced an immediate visit to Thanjavur to rally regional agrarian opposition, insisting that Tamil Nadu will never surrender its water rights.
Granting approval for the Mekedatu project without Tamil Nadu's consent is not only illegal but will also severely affect the lives of farmers in the delta districts. It is the Centre's responsibility to prevent Karnataka from laying even a single brick at Mekedatu.
Manickam Tagore, Tamil Nadu Congress President
Shivakumar refused to retreat. Reaffirming Karnataka's position on Saturday, he brushed aside his party colleague’s objections, declaring that Tagore simply did not understand the underlying legal reality. Shivakumar maintained that the reservoir project will proceed regardless of pushback from Chennai.
| Dispute Parameter | Karnataka Position | Tamil Nadu Congress Position |
|---|---|---|
| Core Project | Mekedatu Reservoir on Cauvery River | Opposes construction entirely |
| Key Legal Claim | Cites Supreme Court rulings as sanction to build | Accuses Karnataka of violating Tribunal awards |
| Riparian Status | Upper-riparian state claiming regulatory rights | Lower-riparian state demanding prior consent |
| Political Stance | Urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for clearances | Demands Centre block construction completely |
With Karnataka establishing a dedicated panel to monitor Mekedatu's progress, the battle now shifts to New Delhi, where the Union government must decide whether to process Karnataka's statutory clearance requests or freeze approvals pending inter-state consensus.