HD Kumara­swamyattacks Congress and BJP

Bangalore: The Janata Dal (S) , wh­ich unveiled its Karna­taka Bachao poll manifesto for the coming Lok Sabha elections on Mon­day, accused both the Con­gress the BJP of ‘mortgaging the state’s interests’ especially in the inter-­state river water disputes.

Speaking to reporters here on Monday, former Chief Minister and JD(S) leader, H.D. Kumara­swamy, said that both parties  were only busy formulating strategies and counter-strategies agai­nst each other for the polls but  did not pay any attention to  Karnataka’s interests.

“When it comes to the Cauvery river dispute, Ta­mil Nadu is liberally using its water for its agricultural land in nine districts while we are supplying borewell water to villagers on the banks of the river here. We don’t have enough Cauvery water for Bengaluru too,” he said.

“When Tamil Nadu starts constructing a reservoir across Cauvery near Hogenikal without permission, Union finance minister P Chidambaram releases funds to it for building it.  But we have to go with a begging bowl for drinking water,” Kumara­swamy charged, saying the  story was no different where the Krishna river was concerned.