It is PM Modi’s duty to resolve Cauvery dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka: Manickam Tagore

Tamil NaduCongress Committee (TNCC) president and Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore on Friday (July 31, 2026) responded, in a strongly worded statement, to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss, asking why he was dragging Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi into the issue of the Mekedatu dam when he could reach out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has the “duty and responsibility” to find a solution to the Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In the statement, Mr. Tagore recalled Dr. Anbumani’s comments that he would leave the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) if Mr. Gandhi, who is scheduled to visit Chennai on August 1, were to assert that the construction of the Mekedatu dam was against Tamil Nadu’s interests and that the Karnataka government should not proceed with it. These questions could be raised with Mr. Gandhi after he becomes the Prime Minister, Mr. Tagore remarked.

“It is the duty and responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a solution to the Cauvery river water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. This year, because the rains failed, the water that should have come to Tamil Nadu from the Cauvery river did not come,” he pointed out.

Against this backdrop, the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee had ordered the Karnataka government to release water to Tamil Nadu at the rate of 3,500 cusecs per day for the next 15 days. “It is the duty of the Prime Minister to hold talks with the Chief Ministers of both States and ensure that the Committee’s order is implemented,” he said.

“The complaint of the people of Tamil Nadu is that the Prime Minister is failing in that duty. We should all condemn this. Dr. Anbumani is part of the BJP-led NDA. He is also in a position to easily approach the Prime Minister,” Mr. Tagore said.

He further said, “The TNCC’s position is that Tamil Nadu should get justice in the Cauvery issue and that the water due to the State should be released. We have always been firm on that. The Congress MLAs in the Assembly will always raise their voices for Tamil Nadu. The Congress does not want to do politics over the Cauvery issue.”