Chennai has seen fresh uncertainty over whether Chief Minister Vijay will travel to Karnataka to hold talks on the Cauvery dispute, after conflicting statements from Agriculture Minister Vinod.
Karnataka is pushing ahead with plans to build a dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery, a move opposed in Tamil Nadu over fears of reduced inflows. The report also notes that Karnataka has not released the water due to Tamil Nadu this year, and the Mettur dam has not been opened for kuruvai cultivation, raising concerns that samba cultivation could also be affected.
According to the report, the Chief Minister’s Office sent a letter seeking a meeting with Karnataka’s Chief Minister, and a reply proposed talks in Bengaluru on August 3. Citing this, Minister Vinod said in an earlier interaction at Kumbakonam that Vijay would travel to Bengaluru on that date.
The statement drew criticism not only from DMK and AIADMK but also from parties in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam alliance, which argued that the Chief Minister should not go to Karnataka for talks. When asked again in Thanjavur, Vinod said the party leadership would announce any Bengaluru visit, adding to the confusion.
Separately, Public Works Minister Adhav Arjuna issued a statement rejecting former Chief Minister Stalin’s allegations that the government had not acted on the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues. He said Vijay met the Prime Minister on May 27, wrote again on June 19, and a resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly the same day, while also blaming the DMK government for legal lapses that, he claimed, weakened the case earlier.
