CM Vijay's proposal for direct Cauvery talks with Karnataka has drawn criticism from farmers' associations, PMK and DMK, who argue it risks bypassing the Supreme Court's statutory mechanism.
CM Vijay's proposal for bilateral talks with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over the Cauvery water dispute — confirmed for August 3 in Bengaluru — has drawn criticism from farmers' organisations and opposition parties, who argue that negotiations outside the Supreme Court's statutory framework risk undermining the legal mechanism already in place to resolve the dispute.
The Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Association, led by P.R. Pandian, has urged CM Vijay to reject the talks altogether, arguing they contradict Supreme Court orders, and to instead press the Union government to secure release of the 27.5 TMC ft of water the association says is owed by Karnataka. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss has also opposed talks over the Mekedatu project specifically. AIADMK has separately issued a political warning to CM Vijay over the handling of the water-sharing issue.
Addressing a farmers' coordination meeting in Mayiladuthurai on Sunday, Pandian sharpened his objection further, calling the proposed visit "legally invalid" and contrary to both the Supreme Court's order and the Constitution. He pointed to past experience as a warning: "Earlier, when such talks were called, contradictions arose, clashes have erupted," he said, arguing that all water-sharing discussions should instead be routed through the Cauvery Water Management Authority.
Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin urged CM Vijay to drop the Karnataka visit, calling Karnataka's continued withholding of Cauvery water a contempt of the Supreme Court's final verdict, and arguing the Mekedatu project itself violates that judgment. He said the Chief Minister should first consult all political parties and farmers' representatives before pursuing any such initiative, and questioned the purpose of the visit — suggesting it could be "an eyewash," given that Congress governs Karnataka and is also part of the ruling coalition in Tamil Nadu.
The criticism comes amid a fresh escalation in the underlying dispute: Tamil Nadu received only 3.5 TMC ft of water between June 1 and July 22, against an entitlement of 31 TMC ft under the Supreme Court-mandated schedule. On July 22, the Cauvery Water Management Authority deferred Tamil Nadu's demand for immediate release, referring the matter to the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, which is expected to consider a pro-rata water-sharing formula at its meeting on July 28 — three days ahead of the planned Bengaluru talks.
Political observers note that former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran held direct, unannounced talks with Karnataka in the late 1970s and 1980s, using personal rapport to secure water releases outside the judicial process — a precedent CM Vijay's supporters point to, even as critics argue today's legal and political landscape differs significantly.
Cauvery Dispute Mekedatu Farmers Association CM Vijay July 25, 2026