Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) General Secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Monday demanded that the Tamil Nadu government immediately file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against the Karnataka government, alleging that Bengaluru has initiated unauthorised survey and construction-related activities linked to the long-pending Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery river. The call came amid fresh concern from Tamil Nadu farmers who reportedly visited the Mekedatu region and flagged the alleged ground-level work.

What Dhinakaran Alleged

In a post on X, Dhinakaran stated that Tamil Nadu farmers who recently travelled to the Mekedatu area had alleged that the Karnataka government had commenced survey work and other construction-related activities connected to the proposed dam. He claimed these activities were being carried out despite legal and regulatory restrictions governing the project, and in alleged violation of the Supreme Court's verdict and the directions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Dhinakaran also accused the Congress government in Karnataka of repeatedly withholding Tamil Nadu's rightful share of Cauvery water, arguing that the reported activities signalled the state had no intention of abandoning the Mekedatu project.

The Congress Contradiction Charge

The AMMK leader levelled a pointed charge of political inconsistency at the Congress, noting that while Tamil Nadu Congress leaders had repeatedly pledged that 'not even a single brick' would be laid for the Mekedatu dam, the Congress government in Karnataka was allegedly proceeding with work in the project area. He described this as a fundamental contradiction that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay should no longer ignore.

Demands on Chief Minister Vijay

Dhinakaran urged Chief Minister Vijay to take immediate legal and political action on multiple fronts. He called on the Chief Minister to approach the Supreme Court with a contempt petition against Karnataka for allegedly flouting judicial directions. He also pressed Vijay to personally meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and push the Union government to ensure that no approval is granted for the Mekedatu dam project.

Notably, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had earlier passed a unanimous resolution urging the Union government not to grant permission for the project — though Dhinakaran observed that the present status of that resolution remained unclear.

Why It Matters for Tamil Nadu

The proposed Mekedatu reservoir, if constructed, would sit upstream on the Cauvery — a river whose waters have been a source of prolonged interstate dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Tamil Nadu farmers fear the project would reduce downstream flows and compromise the state's long-term water security. This latest flare-up is part of a decades-old conflict that has repeatedly reached the Supreme Court and the CWMA.

The ball is now in Chief Minister Vijay's court — whether his government moves legally or politically will signal how seriously Tamil Nadu intends to press its case before both the judiciary and the Centre.