Nothing wrong in Karnataka's resolution on Cauvery water: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress today saw nothing wrong in a resolution adopted by Karnataka Assembly to use Cauvery water only for drinking water needs and not to provide it for any other purpose.

"Discussions taken up in the Assembly are part of the democratic process...I don't think it is constitutionally wrong...You cannot give which you don't have...If it is not, there is a problem," party spokesman Tom Vadakkan told reporters when asked about the issue.

Signalling its inability to spare Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court direction, a special session of the Karnataka legislature today adopted an unanimous resolution to use the water only to meet drinking water needs and not to provide it for any other purpose.

Maintaining that the state was in "severe distress" and struggling to meet even the drinking water needs in the Cauvery basin, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, "an impossible situation wherein it is not possible to comply with a court (order) has been created."

The resolution did not refer to the apex Court direction to the state to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu from September 21 to 27 but is expected to put Karnataka on a collision course with the judiciary.