Cauvery water war: Release of water to Tamil Nadu sparks political row

Taking strong exception to the Karnataka government's decision to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu, opposition BJP and JD(S) have accused the Congress dispensation of 'betraying' the people of the state and its farmers for the sake of politics.  While BJP leader and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said politics seems to have taken priority over the state's interest, another former CM and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy alleged that the Siddaramaiah administration has not taken the people and opposition into confidence on the issue. Clarifying that he never tried to politicise the Cauvery river water issue, Bommai, targeting Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for making such allegations against him, said the Congress government was mixing politics.

Karnataka government stepped up the release of Cauvery water, days after the Tamil Nadu government approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive to the state to release water.