AMMK MLA Kamaraj Faces Backlash in Assembly Over Cauvery Remarks

AMMK MLA S Kamaraj triggered sharp opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in Chennai on Monday after stating that the Cauvery water dispute can only be resolved if neither the BJP nor the Congress is in power at the Centre and in Karnataka.

Speaking in the assembly during a debate on the Cauvery issue, Kamaraj called for a political regime change at the Centre as well as in Karnataka, comparing the situation to political shifts within Tamil Nadu. He stated that political change occurred in Tamil Nadu after 60 years, and argued that a similar political transition must happen in Karnataka and at the Centre to ensure that neither the BJP nor the Congress remains in government. Only then, he asserted, would the Cauvery issue be solved.

Addressing the proposed Mekedatu dam project, the AMMK legislator warned that its construction would turn the Cauvery delta districts in Tamil Nadu into a desert. Kamaraj stated that Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has been refusing to give even a single drop of water to Tamil Nadu. He noted that Karnataka is currently releasing excess water only due to downpours in its catchment areas, warning that if the Mekedatu dam is built, Tamil Nadu will not even receive excess water.

Kamaraj's comments drew immediate pushback from legislators inside the assembly. Congress MLAs alongside lone BJP MLA M Bhojarajan strongly opposed the remarks and hit back at the AMMK legislator during the session.