Opposition politicising, we’re protecting Karnataka’s interests: DK Shivakumar

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday accused opposition parties of politicising the Cauvery issue. The State Government is committed to protecting the interests of farmers, but opposition parties are giving a political colour to the issue, Shivakumar told reporters here.

He said the State Government has submitted a petition before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and there is no point in calling for a bandh. The government is with farmers to protect the state’s interests and they should not make the mistake of calling for Bengaluru bandh, he said. No one should take law into their hands, he said.  

The government will not come in the way of protests by farmers’ organisations, Kannada outfits, members of the film industry, or opposition parties, but the protests should not inconvenience people, he added.

“We are doing our duty. BS Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai and HD Kumaraswamy are doing their politics with a new vigour. While they do politics on water (sharing issue), we are protecting our farmers. I will not reveal our strategy as that will jeopardise the state’s interests,” Shivakumar added.

Responding to a DMK leader’s remark that Cauvery is not Karnataka’s property, the DyCM said Cauvery belongs to the entire South India. On BJP leader Yediyurappa’s remarks that Congress leaders are behaving like agents of Tamil Nadu, Shivakumar said they are working to protect the interests of the state, including its farmers. Former PM HD Deve Gowda had stated that the PM should intervene to resolve the 
issue, he said responding to a question on BJP leader CT Ravi’s suggestion that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi should intervene.