Bengaluru : Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai called the incumbent Congress Government to chameleon for changing its stand regarding releasing the Cauvery Water to Tamil Nadu.

He told reporters here on Saturday that it looks like the State Government has come under the influence of the neighboring Tamil Nadu state in regard to the Cauvery water dispute. Without orders from the Supreme Court or the Cauvery Water Management Authority, the Karnataka government had taken the decision to release water to Tamil Nadu and cheated the people. Protesting against this, the BJP would hold agitation against the Congress Government. Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had categorically said that water would not be released to Tamil Nadu at any cost but the next day Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister D.K.Shivakumar issued the order to release water to the neighboring state. “What was the need for convening an all-party leaders meeting when the government had already decided to release water to Tamil Nadu? In the meeting, the CM said no water to Tamil Nadu but the Deputy CM contradicted the order the next day. This is the chameleon government. The decision to release water to Tamil Nadu and cheat the people of Karnataka was nothing but a draconian decision”.

If have guts, argue in SC without releasing water
Reacting to Shivakumar’s statement that the BJP did not have the guts to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Cauvery water dispute, the former CM said the incumbent government would not have released water if it had the guts. By releasing the water, the Congress Government talks of guts and capacity. “If you really have the guts, argue effectively in the apex court without releasing water to Tamil Nadu”.

On the mediation of the Union Government on this issue, Bommai said it was of no use for the Lok Sabha members of any state to meet the PM. The people of the Cauvery Basin were now regretting for voting the Congress Party. This row could be solved only through the Supreme Court and holding talks with the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.