D.K. Shivakumar politicising Mekedatu issue, alleges Tamil Nadu Law Minister

Tamil Nadu Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar on Friday (May 29, 2026) accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of politicising the Mekedatu issue even though the Supreme Court of India had only directed the Karnataka government to submit the project report.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat in Chennai, he said Karnataka could not conduct bhoomi pooja for the construction of a dam across Mekedatu since the Supreme Court had merely sought the submission of a project report.

“Our Chief Minister [C. Joseph Vijay] will not allow it. They [Karnataka] are unnecessarily creating a law-and-order problem in both the States. Mr. Shivakumar is doing this to gain political mileage. It is highly condemnable,” he said after handing over appointment letters to 45 government advocates.

Mr. Nirmal Kumar said both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka shared strong trade relations and that peace between the two States was essential. “There is a policy governing inter-State relations, and it clearly explains how States should act on bilateral issues. One cannot act unilaterally without responsibility,” he said.

Asked whether the Chief Minister would convene an all-party meeting in connection with the issue, he said the government first needed to finalise the legal course of action to address the matter.

On release of convicts

To a question on the release of convicts who had already spent many years in prison, he said the government would take steps to release them on parole. “We have already initiated measures to provide them permanent relief,” he said.

Mr. Nirmal Kumar said the government was evolving a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to deal with crimes against women and cases filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. “We will speed up the cases. It is our election promise. We are studying pending cases and the shortage of court staff. Our objective is to ensure immediate justice to victims, including in the Coimbatore case,” he said.

The Minister said such an SOP was essential because, “during the previous regime”, women faced considerable hardship during inquiries and court proceedings. “We are consulting legal experts to evolve the SOP,” he said.