TN Congress MP attacks DMK, AIADMK over ‘silence’ on Mekedatu dam issue

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday intensified the political battle over the controversial Mekedatu dam project, attacking both the DMK and AIADMK leadership for what he called their silence on Karnataka’s proposed reservoir across the Cauvery river.

Backing Tamil Nadu chief minister C. Joseph Vijay, Tagore praised his recent letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the immediate rejection of the Mekedatu project, calling it a crucial fight to protect Tamil Nadu’s water rights and the livelihoods of lakhs of farmers dependent on Cauvery water.

In a sharp post on X, the Congress MP questioned why Udhayanidhi Stalin had not spoken out strongly despite the seriousness of the issue. He also targeted AIADMK chief Edappadi K. Palaniswami, asking why the opposition party was not directly confronting the Centre over the project.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi must immediately reject the Mekedatu proposal and protect Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water,” Tagore said.

He argued that Vijay’s letter clearly highlighted how the proposed reservoir violates both the Supreme Court verdict and the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. “This is not a political issue. This is about our water, our farmers and Tamil Nadu’s rights. No project should come up across the Cauvery without Tamil Nadu’s consent,” Tagore said while extending full support to the Chief Minister’s stand.

The Mekedatu dispute has once again reignited tensions between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar recently reiterated that the Congress government in the state intends to push ahead with the long-pending project and even conduct a “Bhoomi Pooja” for the proposed dam.

Tamil Nadu has consistently opposed the project, arguing that any new reservoir upstream could reduce its share of Cauvery water and violate the water-sharing framework upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 after decades of legal disputes.

Amid the growing political heat, chief minister Vijay is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior Congress leaders in New Delhi later in the day, with the Mekedatu issue likely to dominate discussions.

With IANS inputs