Karnataka Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 3 July launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, accusing him of staying silent after the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership declared it would not allow 'even a single brick' to be laid for the proposed Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir and Drinking Water Project. The BJP leader's remarks sharpen the political battle over a Cauvery inter-state water dispute that has festered for years.

Ashoka's Challenge to Shivakumar

Ashoka alleged that Shivakumar had organised the high-profile Mekedatu padayatra before the Karnataka Assembly elections purely for political gain and had since abandoned the cause. 'Before the elections, you staged a political drama in the form of the Mekedatu padayatra to come to power. Why have you now chosen silence?' Ashoka questioned the Chief Minister directly.

The BJP leader went further, challenging Shivakumar to march to Chennai and stage a hunger strike outside the Tamil Nadu Congress office if he genuinely cared for Kannadigas. 'If you have the courage, conviction and genuine concern for Kannadigas, undertake a padayatra to Chennai and stage a hunger strike in front of the Tamil Nadu Congress office. Prove your political commitment,' Ashoka said.

Alliance Politics Under the Spotlight

Ashoka alleged that Shivakumar's silence stems from Congress party alliance compulsions and directives from the 'Delhi high command.' 'Have the orders of the Delhi high command and alliance politics in Tamil Nadu become more important than the rights of Karnataka's farmers in the Cauvery basin and the drinking water needs of millions of Bengaluru residents?' he asked.

He accused the state government of using the Mekedatu project as an 'election gimmick' and alleged it now lacks the political will to even condemn the Tamil Nadu Congress's remarks, let alone advance the project. Ashoka warned that voters would hold the Congress government accountable for what he termed a 'breach of trust.'

What CM Shivakumar Has Said

Separately, Chief Minister Shivakumar struck a conciliatory tone, saying he was ready to hold discussions with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at any time and urged both states to set politics aside. 'I am ready to talk to Tamil Nadu at any point regarding the Mekedatu project. I have no reservations in this regard. Whether it is Tamil Nadu or Karnataka, we are one nation and one people. We all depend on the waters of the same river. Water is needed for irrigation, drinking purposes and industrial use,' Shivakumar said.

What the Mekedatu Project Involves

The Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir is Karnataka's proposal to construct a reservoir across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu in Bengaluru South district. Karnataka contends the project is critical for supplying drinking water to Bengaluru and surrounding areas and for generating approximately 400 MW of hydropower, while insisting it will not breach the state's allocated share of Cauvery water.

Tamil Nadu strongly opposes the plan, arguing that any upstream reservoir could reduce water flow to Cauvery delta farmers and undermine the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, which the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. The project remains stalled pending environmental, forest, and other statutory clearances from the Centre, which Tamil Nadu has repeatedly urged the Union government to withhold.

What Happens Next

With the Tamil Nadu Congress publicly hardening its position and the BJP pressing Shivakumar to respond, the Mekedatu dispute is set to intensify as a political flashpoint ahead of local body elections in both states. Whether the Centre grants the pending clearances — or defers indefinitely under interstate pressure — will determine whether the project moves beyond rhetoric.