Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has requested his Tamil Nadu counterpart, C. Joseph Vijay, to postpone his scheduled visit to Bengaluru on August 3, citing the tense situation in the state following the latest developments in the Cauvery water-sharing dispute.

The request comes in the wake of protests sparked by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) decision to uphold the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directive asking Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from July 29, amounting to around 4 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft).

CM cites prevailing tensions

Addressing the media on Friday, Shivakumar said Karnataka has always extended respect and hospitality to visitors from neighbouring states. However, he noted that the current atmosphere was not conducive for the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s visit.

He said he had requested Vijay to consider postponing the meeting to a later date, adding that the two leaders could hold discussions once the situation becomes more favourable.

Karnataka seeks dialogue

The Chief Minister reiterated that the Karnataka government remains committed to resolving the long-standing Cauvery issue through cordial dialogue with Tamil Nadu rather than confrontation.

He also stressed that the state government would continue to safeguard Karnataka’s interests while pursuing an amicable solution to the water-sharing dispute.

Appeal against bandh

Meanwhile, several pro-Kannada organisations have called for a statewide bandh on August 13 to protest the CWMA’s directive on water release.

Shivakumar appealed to the organisations to withdraw the bandh call, pointing out that previous court rulings had discouraged such shutdowns. He said a bandh would only inconvenience the public without contributing to a resolution of the issue.

“We will not work against the interests of our state,” the Chief Minister said, assuring people that the government would take all necessary steps to protect Karnataka’s rights while seeking a peaceful resolution. #Karnataka #CauveryDispute #DKShivakumar #TamilNadu #WaterSharing #Politics #NewsKarnataka