In a desperate bid to iron out the disagreement between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Cauvery issue, Union water resources minister Uma Bharti said on Thursdaythat she would stage a hunger strike to maintain peach in both states, reported The Times of India.
The Cauvery water dispute remains unsolved even after the meeting between the two states and the centre, as Bharti left it to the Supreme Court, which will hear the caseon Friday.
“I am ready to stage an indefinite hunger strike, if required, to maintain peace in both states. I appreciate both states are trying to find a solution. We have noted their views and will send them to the court,” she said.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urged the Centre to send a team of experts to the Cauvery basin for a study of storage level, inflows and outflows.
Tamil Nadu public works department minister Edappadi K Palaniswami represented chief minister Jayalalithaa since she was in the hospital. During the meeting he read out a speech by her in which she accused Karnataka of contempt of court.
“I'm appealing to you as a sanyasin. Comply with the court directives,” Bharati said.
“This is not a threat, but an appeal to both states. If there is any trouble in either state, I'll stage a hunger strike at the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. I don't want trouble as long as I'm water resources minister and Narendra Modi PM,” she added.
Bharti reportedly brought up mythology and history to elaborate on how sharing water is “an act of love”.
“In the olden days, on the battlefield, locals would give water to injured soldiers irrespective of the camp they were from. There should be no violation of court directives,” she said.