Criticising the Karnataka government for defying Supreme Court directives, Tamil Nadu Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar announced on Saturday that the Tamil Nadu government would file a petition in the Supreme Court to secure the State’s rightful share of Cauvery water.Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the newly established Chief Minister’s Youth Sports Stadium here on Saturday, he lashed out at the neighbouring State’s persistent refusal to release water.The Minister stated that despite clear orders from the Supreme Court and the Cauvery Water Management Authority mandating the release of 3,500 cusecs, Karnataka has continued to withhold supplies.“In two months, Tamil Nadu should have received 17 TMC of water from the Cauvery. The Karnataka government refusing to give water to Tamil Nadu and releasing it only when the Supreme Court is approached has become a recurring story,” he said.He noted that separate legal petitions were being pursued in the apex court concerning water release and opposition to the Mekedatu check dam project.He criticised the past administrations for letting legal proceedings lapse once temporary water releases were made.Acting under the directives of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, the State is pushing for a permanent resolution to the decades-old dispute. ““Political parties in Karnataka have been doing politics using Cauvery water for several decades. However, moving past them, we need to take action to secure our livelihood rights,” he added.“The Cauvery issue was debated, and a resolution was passed unanimously in the Legislative Assembly. After discussions in the Assembly, there is no need to convene an all-party meeting,” he asserted.He accused opposition factions of conspiring with the BJP out of fear that Mr. Vijay would successfully resolve the crisis.“A party in alliance with the BJP has filed a case in the Supreme Court against that very resolution passed in the House. It is regretful that political parties in Tamil Nadu are acting in support of Karnataka political parties,” he stated.Clarifying power bills, he said that electricity tariffs had not been hiked across the State. Adding, he explained that recent increases in consumer bills were strictly the result of higher power consumption.“Out of 15,000 households subjected to a recent meter re-reading audit across Tamil Nadu, minor discrepancies were recorded in only about 100 cases,” he noted. Published - August 01, 2026 08:39 pm IST