"Farmers will become rebels if Karnataka govt continues to neglect Cauvery water issue": Former CM Bommai

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 22 (ANI): Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said that pontiffs, farmers and the citizens of Bengaluru will become rebels if the government continues to neglect the Cauvery water row adding that the Siddaramaiah government is behaving casually in this matter. 
Addressing the reporters in Bengaluru, Basavaraj Bommai said, "State government is behaving casually in regard to the Cauvery water row and if it continues to neglect such an important issue then pontiffs, farmers and the citizens of Bengaluru will become rebels. The incumbent government had created a big problem for the whole state on this issue and had been committing mistakes from day one."  
Stating that the government has not disclosed its course of action before the people of the State in this matter, he said, "BJP would view this seriously and hold protests in the Cauvery basin districts."
He also demanded a drinking water guarantee for the citizens of Bengaluru. 
"D.K.Shivakumar said Bengaluru is an international city and repeatedly said 'Brand Bengaluru'. But, he would never talk about the drinking water for Bengaluru. We want the water guarantee," Bommai said. 
"The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal has directed to give a separate 4.5 TMC ft of water exclusively to Bengaluru City and the present government was not ready to mention it. The neighbouring Tamil Nadu had illegally grown the crops by making additional use of water and the Karnataka Congress Government has not spoken about it. The monsoon has ended in Karnataka but is expected in Tamil Nadu in the coming days," he added. 
BJP leader Bommai said that instead of talking to Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, the Karnataka government is pointing fingers at the Government of India. 
"If we talk about it, they accuse us of doing politics. But the Congress government is doing politics to cover up its failures. Our Congress leaders are not ready to talk to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin and instead, they point the fingers towards the Government of India. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is an expert in this regard," he said. 
Former Karnataka Chief Minister further informed that the BJP will hold a protest near Mysore Bank Circle in Bengaluru tomorrow (Saturday) against the failures of the Congress Government.
"In the coming days, protests would be held in all the 28 parliamentary constituencies in the State. We must exhibit unity when it comes to land, water or language due to which they are giving full co-operation to the government. But we will talk if the government fails to adhere to the decision taken in the all-party meeting against the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Why did the government fail to file an Interim Application in the Supreme Court?" he said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the order of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to Karnataka on releasing 5,000 cusecs of water every day for now to Tamil Nadu.
The matter has been a controversial issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for decades and they have been locked in battle over the sharing of water from the Cauvery river, which is a major source of irrigation and drinking water for millions of people in the region. The Centre formed the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) on June 2, 1990, to adjudicate disputes between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry with respect to the water-sharing capacities. (ANI)