Cauvery dispute: BJP stages demo against ruling Congress govt in Karnataka
Accuses govt of sacrificing farmers' interest
Mandya (K'taka) (PTI): A large number of Karnataka BJP workers on Monday staged a demonstration and burnt the effigies of Congress leaders here for releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
They also put up banners and posters denouncing the Congress government and raised slogans at Sanjay Circle in this district headquarters town expressing their anger against the ruling party's stand on the Cauvery issue.
The protestors put flowers on their ears to convey the message that the state government has fooled people. They alleged that the government ignored the interests of Karnataka farmers, especially those in Mysuru, Mandya and Ramanagara districts.
The independent MP from Mandya Sumalatha Ambareesh too joined the protesters.
Speaking to reporters, Sumalatha said no one should see this protest from a political point of view.
"I appeal to people not to see this from a political point of view. Everyone has a responsibility including the media. We have to protect the rights and interests of our farmers," she said.
The actor-turned-politician took a swipe at the Congress indirectly for blaming Centre.
"The Centre interfering in the Cauvery issue is a misleading information provided to you," she said.
The Lok Sabha member said when the Congress was ruling at the Centre, Cauvery controversy was "taking place" and then water was released citing Supreme Court orders. Her actor-politician husband late Ambareesh, who was in the Congress, had resigned as a union minister as mark of protest, she said.
"If Centre can resolve this issue then it would have done it in the past as well. Why did this not happen? It did not happen because the Cauvery tribunal is hearing Tamil voices more. Tamil Nadu objects to any steps taken to desilt KRS dam and we had to keep mum. If we can dredge KRS then at least 20 ft of more water can be stored," she said.
Sumalatha called upon people not to allow injustice to happen to the farmers.
The BJP said the Congress government is sacrificing the interests of farmers to woo Stalin-led DMK government in Tamil Nadu on behalf of their leader Rahul Gandhi for political reasons.
In a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter), the party said that a red-carpet welcome was accorded to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who opposes the Mekedatu balancing reservoir for drinking water to Bengaluru, only for the sake of the newly formed opposition bloc INDIA.
The focus is back on Cauvery water sharing dispute with Karnataka releasing water to Tamil Nadu though there are inadequate rains this time in Karnataka.
According to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Cauvery Water Management Authority has directed the Karnataka government to release 10,000 cusecs of water everyday for 15 days to Tamil Nadu.
The Karnataka government has convened an all party meeting on August 23 to discuss the Cauvery river water sharing issue in view of the low inflow of water into reservoirs of the State following inadequate rains.
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'Blood in river' rant: Owaisi reminds Bilawal of Benazir Bhutto's killing by homegrown terrorists
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Apr 28 (PTI): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday criticised Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his "blood would flow in rivers" remark, reminding him of the killing of his mother, Benazir Bhutto, by home-grown terrorists.
He also referred to former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi as a "joker" for his statement on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
The Hyderabad MP said Pakistan should be placed on the 'grey list' of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and advocated for cyber attacks against the neighbouring nation.
When asked about Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's statement against India following its withdrawal from the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), Owaisi remarked that Bhutto-Zardari should question who was responsible for his mother's death, emphasising that "she was killed by such homegrown terrorists."
Former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto was assassinated on December 27, 2007, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
After India suspended the IWT, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared, "The Indus is ours and will remain ours—either our water will flow through it, or their blood."
Speaking to reporters, Owaisi said his party- the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen- supports the Centre's decision to suspend the IWT.
However, he raised concerns about where the water from the Indus River would be stored after the treaty's suspension, stating, "It has to be stored somewhere."
Under the World Bank-brokered treaty, India was granted exclusive rights to the water of the eastern rivers -- the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi -- amounting to an average annual flow of about 33 million acre-feet (MAF). The water of the western rivers -- the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab -- with an average annual flow of around 135 MAF, was largely allocated to Pakistan.
With the treaty now put in abeyance, the government is looking at ways to utilise the water of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.
Owaisi asserted that Pakistan should be placed on the FATF grey list to highlight its financing of terrorism through illegal means.
He also urged the government to launch cyber attacks against Pakistan, citing Article 51 of the UN Charter, which provides the right to act in self-defence.
Additionally, he demanded that the Narendra Modi government rethink its deterrent policy since incidents like the Pahalgam attack were taking place even after airstrikes.
Reiterating his support for the Centre's decisions, Owaisi remarked, "Pakistan should understand that India's defence budget is bigger than their entire budget. They are 20 years behind India. The politicians there just keep blabbering. That country is facing internal issues. They can't manufacture medicines for malaria but keep talking about fighting India."
Speaking on the Waqf Amendment Act, Owaisi opposed its provisions, arguing that they violated the Constitution.
Regarding the inclusion of non-Muslims on Waqf boards, he questioned, "Wouldn't it be painful if we asked for non-Hindus to be included in the Pandharpur temple trust?"
#WATCH | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | On Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's "Blood will flow" remark after Pahalgam attack, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says,"...Bachpane ki baatein nahi karna..His mother was killed by their homegrown terrorists...Does he even know what he is… pic.twitter.com/yVn7jegwKn
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025
