In an irony of ironies, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore has publicly criticised the Congress government in Karnataka for refusing to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, accusing it of violating the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict. Despite both state units belonging to the Congress party, Tagore demanded that the Siddaramaiah-led government immediately comply with the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directions and release Tamil Nadu’s due share of water.
In a statement, Tagore said Karnataka Water Resources Minister’s refusal to release water to Tamil Nadu amounted to contempt of the apex court’s order. He argued that deficient monsoon conditions could not be used as a justification to disregard the principles of cooperative federalism or jeopardise the livelihood of Tamil Nadu’s farmers.
Quoting the Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict, Tagore recalled that the court had held that the waters of an inter-State river are a national asset and that no individual state can claim exclusive ownership over them.
He also referred to the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s (CWMA) directions, stating that Karnataka had been instructed to release 9.91 TMC of water for June and 32 TMC for July to Tamil Nadu.
Tagore further pointed out that the Supreme Court had explicitly upheld the pro-rata sharing principle during distress years. Under this mechanism, any shortfall in water availability must be proportionately shared by all basin states, and no state can unilaterally withhold water by closing its reservoirs, he said.
Urging immediate compliance with the apex court’s ruling, the TNCC chief demanded that the Karnataka government honour the CWMA’s schedule and release Tamil Nadu’s due share of Cauvery water without further delay.
கர்நாடக நீர்ப்பாசனத்துறை அமைச்சர் தமிழகத்திற்குத் தண்ணீர் தர இயலாது என்று மறுப்பது, உச்ச நீதிமன்ற உத்தரவை நேரடியாக அவமதிக்கும் செயலாகும். பருவமழை பொய்த்தது என்பது, கூட்டாட்சி ஒத்துழைப்பைப் புறக்கணிப்பதற்கோ அல்லது நம் விவசாயிகளின் வாழ்வாதாரத்தை அழிப்பதற்கோ வழங்கப்பட்ட உரிமம் அல்ல!…
— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) July 9, 2026
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