Cauvery dispute: KRRS to hold demonstration in Delhi for Karnataka’s rights
The Hindu
The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha will hold a demonstration in Delhi as part of its struggle for the State’s rightful share of the Cauvery waters
The Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) will hold a demonstration in Delhi as part of its struggle for the State’s rightful share of the Cauvery waters.
Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Saturday, KRRS leader Badagalpura Nagendra said a delegation of about 25 to 50 leaders from the Cauvery basin regions will reach Delhi and hold a protest in front of the venue of the next Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) meeting.
Mr. Nagendra said they will finalise the date of their demonstration before the next CWRC meeting. “We will go to Delhi for sure. Even if we are not allowed to protest in front of the CWRC meeting, we will do it at Jantar Mantar and send a memorandum detailing our plight and demands to them,” he said.
The KRRS leader said he had gone through Karnataka’s arguments before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the CWRC. “Even though the State’s representative brings to their notice in a raised voice that Karnataka cannot release water, the CWMA and the CWRC is not considering Karnataka’s arguments. They are making mathematic calculations and are asking us to release water,” Mr. Nagendra said.
The KRRS leader has also sought the co-operation of MPs from Karnataka and the State government’s representative in New Delhi in their struggle. “They should participate in the struggle with us,” he said, adding that their struggle will complement the State government’s efforts to secure Karnataka its rightful share of the Cauvery waters.
Mr. Nagendra, who urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the Cauvery crisis, regretted that Karnataka’s MPs, particularly the BJP MPs, were “spineless”. “They are afraid to even seek an appointment with Mr. Modi,” he lamented.
The KRRS said it wanted nine MPs representing the Cauvery basin region to come to the streets and agitate against the injustice to Karnataka. He pointed out that their representative Darshan Puttannaiah was participating in the indefinite protests and similiarly all the 55 MLAs of the Cauvery region too should come to the streets.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”