Chennai, 01 August (H.S.): DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Cauvery water dispute, arguing that Tamil Nadu should present a united political front in protecting its water rights.

In a social media post, Stalin pointed to developments in neighbouring Karnataka, where political parties have closed ranks over the Cauvery issue. He said the Karnataka government, which had initially expressed willingness to hold talks with Vijay, subsequently asked him to defer his proposed visit and decided to convene an all-party meeting on August 2.

Stalin said Karnataka's decision demonstrated the importance of political unity when dealing with an inter-State water dispute and questioned whether the Tamil Nadu government would adopt a similar approach.

The DMK leader recalled that he had earlier advised Vijay against travelling to Karnataka for bilateral discussions, maintaining that negotiations between the two State governments were unlikely to produce a solution.

According to Stalin, pursuing the legal and institutional route remained the most effective option for Tamil Nadu to secure its rightful share of Cauvery water. He alleged that Karnataka had repeatedly failed to release Tamil Nadu's due share and tended to provide water only when its reservoirs had surplus storage.

Stalin also criticised Vijay's initial decision to pursue direct talks, saying the Chief Minister appeared to have believed that negotiations with Karnataka could help secure Tamil Nadu's water entitlement.

Referring to the latest developments, Stalin said Karnataka's request to postpone Vijay's visit came after the Cauvery Water Management Authority backed the direction for water to be released to Tamil Nadu.

The former Chief Minister said the DMK had anticipated such a situation and had therefore called for an all-party meeting in Tamil Nadu.

He asked Vijay to respond to the changed circumstances by bringing together all political parties to formulate a common strategy on the Cauvery dispute and safeguard the State's interests.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman