An emergency meeting, chaired by Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday decided to immediately file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against Karnataka for stopping the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in defiance of the orders of the PM-led CRA and the Supreme Court.
In a state government release, Ms Jayalalithaa said Karnataka, by unilaterally stopping water release to TN in violation of SC order, had acted against the principle of federalism and thereby denied the due share of water to Tamil Nadu. A contempt petition will be moved against Karnataka immediately to get the stipulated quantum of water from Karnataka, the release added.
This is the second instance in the last decade that Karnataka faces court contempt in the Cauvery case, as way back in 2003, it defied SC order and subsequently tendered an apology to the court to save itself from becoming liable for constitutional breakdown.
The state government took the decision after CM chaired a meeting attended by state PWD minister K.V. Ramalingam.