Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah refutes Jayalalithaa’s charges on Cauvery issue

Krishnagiri: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday refuted his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa's allegations that his government was not releasing Cauvery water and asserted that water is being released as per the Supreme Court guidelines.

Describing Jayalalithaa's charges as baseless, he alleged that it was Jayalalithaa and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda who have failed to take concrete steps in this regard.

"They are the root cause.. Both of them are aware of their role in the Cauvery issue and are trying to hide their mistake," he said, without elaborating further.

Siddharamaiah, here to campaign for the Congress candidate in the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in the state, said with regard to the Cauvery Water dispute, Congress has always obeyed the apex court's order and based on the storage and feasibility, water is being released accordingly to support Tamil Nadu.

Slamming Congress, DMK and BJP for their 'betrayal' of the state on the vexed issue, Jayalalithaa, while campaigning, had charged that both Congress and BJP in Karnataka were determined in not releasing even a drop of water from Cauvery to Tamil Nadu.

As per the Court order, water would be released by the Karnataka Government, Siddaramaiah assured.

The Karnataka Chief Minister said there was no 'Modi wave' in the country, dismissing it as a 'false wave' projected by BJP, and claimed Congress would win and form the next government.

He declined comment on the charge of DMK MP, T M Selvaganapathy, who was sentenced to two years imprisonment in the cremation shed scam, that the case was "fabricated" and "foisted" on him out of political vendetta by a Congress Union minister from the state.

Siddaramaiah was talking to reporters at Athipalli, 58 kilometres from here, before setting out to canvass votes for the Congress candidate from the Krishnagiri Lok Sabha constituency, Dr A Chellakumar.

Later he addressed rallies in Athipalli, Hosur and Tali area.