Bengaluru:
It’s Congress versus Congress on the contentious issue of Mekedatu Dam on the Cauvery river that Karnataka is pushing hard for and Tamil Nadu is opposing. Karnataka is governed by the Congress whereas the party is part of the Vijay led government in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu Congress President, Manickam Tagore, on Saturday strongly criticised Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over his remarks on the Cauvery water dispute, accusing him of continuing to adopt a “stubborn stance” that goes against the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers and is “utterly unacceptable”.
The reaction came a day after Chief Minister Shivakumar, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged the Centre to expedite statutory clearances for the proposed Mekedatu project.
“Sir, you just saw the dam on the Cauvery. The Supreme Court has delivered a clear verdict to all of us that Mekedatu has to be built in Karnataka, and no one can stop it. We want you to help us legally,” the Karnataka Chief Minister had said on Friday.
DK Shivakumar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Bengaluru on Friday
Responding to his remarks, Tagore took to social media platform X and accused Shivakumar of making statements that disregard the Supreme Court’s ruling and the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
Read | Vijay Urges PM Modi To Deny Mekedatu Dam Approval Without States’ Consent
“It is deeply condemnable that Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru, said, ‘No one can stop the construction of a dam at Mekedatu’, and that the central government must give its final approval for it.
“The Karnataka Chief Minister continues to adopt a stubborn stance, blatantly violating the Supreme Court ruling and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award. This statement, which goes against the principle of federalism and seeks to destroy the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu’s farmers, is utterly unacceptable,” Tagore said.
In the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysore, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Sivakumar’s statement that “no one can stop the construction of a dam in Meghadatu” and that the central government should give final approval to this is strongly condemned. The Chief Minister of Karnataka continues to be stubborn in flagrant defiance of the Supreme Court judgment and the final order of the Cauvery Tribunal. This speech, which is against the federal philosophy and destroys the livelihood of the farmers of Tamilnadu, can never be accepted. As Tamil Nadu is a downstream state in Cauvery water sharing, Karnataka cannot arbitrarily implement any project that affects our rights. The central government should not give any permission for the construction of Meghadatu Dam without the full consent of the downstream states. Approving the Meghadatu project without Tamil Nadu’s consent is not only illegal, but it is an act that will seriously affect the lives of farmers in the Delta district. It is the Modi government’s duty to prevent Karnataka from taking even a single brick in Meghadatu. We will never allow this project on behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress; We will fight to any extent to protect our state rights. Today I am going to Thanjavur; I am going to talk about this matter in detail there. Tamil Nadu will always stand united for Cauvery rights. Our voice will continue to be raised to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu and the rights of our farmers without giving up. #TNCongress #Mekedatu
— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳Manickam Tagore (@manickamtagore) November 14, 2026
He further argued that Karnataka, being an upper-riparian state, could not independently take up a project that could affect the water rights of Tamil Nadu, which is situated downstream in the Cauvery River basin. He also urged the Centre not to grant any clearance for the proposed dam without obtaining the consent of the lower-riparian states.
“Granting approval for the Mekedatu project without Tamil Nadu’s consent is not only illegal but will also severely affect the lives of farmers in the delta districts,” he said.
He said it was the Centre’s “responsibility” to “prevent Karnataka from laying even a single brick at Mekedatu”.
“On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Congress, we will never allow this project; we will go to any lengths to fight to protect our state’s rights,” he said.
Reacting to his party colleagues objection, Shivakumar reiterated that dam cannot be stopped and added that Tagore didn’t know the full facts.
“No one can stop the construction of a dam at Mekedatu. It is the duty of Manickam Tagore to protect his state. But he doesn’t know the actual facts. If he comes to Karnataka with his delegation, I will take him to the dam site and show that it is in their interest,” the chief minister stated.
The TVK government has also strongly criticised Shivakumar’s remarks, with Law Minister CTR Nirmal Kumar accusing the Karnataka CM of making controversial statements ahead of every election.
“He (DK Shivakumar) makes such controversial remarks before every election. The TVK government and CM Vijay will never allow the Mekedatu project. We have filed petitions before the court. Compared to previous governments, we are taking stronger legal steps. They cannot even lay a single brick for the Mekedatu project because they do not have forest approval or environmental clearance,” Kumar said.
In Tamil Nadu, Opposition DMK also upped the ante against the Vijay government after Shivakumar’s Friday assertion. Former chief minister MK Stalin urged the state government “to take the necessary action on the Cauvery issue, which is a matter of life and death for Tamil Nadu, rather than remaining silent any longer”. The DMK has also demanded an all-party meeting on the issue.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka has spoken in the presence of the Prime Minister that no one can stop the construction of Meghadatu Dam. My letter to Hon’ble @CMOTamilnadu urging the Tamil Nadu Government to do more on the issue of Cauvery which is a vital issue of Tamilnadu and not to maintain peace: #Cauvery #Mekedatu #DeltaFarmers
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) November 14, 2026
The proposed reservoir, located in the Ramanagara district (now Bengaluru South), aims to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate 400 MW of power, with Karnataka assuring that Tamil Nadu’s allocated share of Cauvery water will not be compromised.
The Tamil Nadu government, however, continues to strongly oppose the project, citing concerns over water sharing, while Shivakumar maintains Karnataka will proceed with its preparations to submit a revised Detailed Project Report.
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