Dharmapuri, August 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
DMDK general secretary and MLA Premalatha Vijayakanth on Saturday urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay to convene an all-party meeting on the Cauvery water dispute and lead a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek a long-term solution.
Speaking to IANS in Dharmapuri, Premalatha said both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka should work together to ensure fair water sharing without affecting the interests of either state.
She said the DMDK stood with Tamil Nadu farmers and the public on the Cauvery issue, adding that the matter should not be viewed as a conflict between two states.
“We have not betrayed Karnataka in raising this issue. Protests are taking place there as well. Water should be supplied in a way that does not affect either state. This is not an India-Pakistan issue,” she said.
Suggesting a broader approach to recurring water disputes, Premalatha reiterated the demand for river-linking projects, saying floodwaters in northern states often flow away while several southern regions face water shortages.
She said Chief Minister Vijay should convene an all-party meeting and approach the Prime Minister to push for such initiatives.
On resolving the Cauvery issue, Premalatha said repeated legal interventions had failed to provide a permanent solution and suggested direct talks between the two states.
She urged the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to visit Karnataka for discussions and said Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar should also visit Tamil Nadu for talks.
Turning to governance issues, Premalatha said the Chief Minister should visit the Cauvery basin areas, including Hogenakkal and Mettur, to understand the challenges faced by people outside Chennai. She said governance should extend beyond the state capital and focus on wider public concerns.
On the power sector, she alleged that Tamil Nadu, which was once an energy-surplus state, was now facing frequent power cuts and rising electricity tariffs. She demanded measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply and reduce charges.
Premalatha also called for greater water conservation efforts, saying Tamil Nadu should aim to become self-sufficient in water and food production.
She said she would raise the demand of Dharmapuri journalists seeking a meeting with the Chief Minister during the Assembly session.
Criticising the government’s approach towards agriculture, she said religious visits alone could not ensure farmers’ prosperity and stressed the need for practical policies and support systems for the farming community.
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