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SC raps TN, K’taka for failing to tame violence over Cauvery
The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments for their failure to stop people from taking to the agitation path after its order on Cauvery river water sharing and said it hoped both states will maintain peace and respect for law.
The Supreme Court slammed the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments on Thursday for their failure to tame the unruly protests over Cauvery water.
The protests ensued following a top court directive on September 12, ordering Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The court hoped “wisdom will prevail over competent authorities to maintain peace.”
“We reiterate neither an agitation can take place when the court has passed an order and should be complied. If it causes difficulty to any party, he or she can approach the court. People cannot take law in their own hands. It’s obligatory for the state to take preventive measures,” a special bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice UU Lalit said in a terse order.
The court called upon Tamil Nadu’s additional advocate general senior advocate Subramanium Prasad, who was witnessing the proceedings, and asked him to communicate the bench’s angst to the state authorities.
“Convey this order today without any delay. At least, you must convey that the court expects both states to maintain harmony, calm and pose. Above all dignity and respect for the law,” the court told Prasad.
Though the judges looked for Karnataka state counsel, they could not locate him in the court.
The bench did not issue any formal notice to the state but asked their advocates to be present in the court on September 20 when the main matter with regard to the dispute over Cauvery river water sharing will come up.
The direction to the governments to maintain peace in the two states came while it was hearing a petition filed by Tamil Nadu-based social activist.
Read: As Cauvery protests singed Karnataka, did local media add fuel to fire?
