Siddaramaiah seeks PM Narendra Modi's intervention in Cauvery dispute

BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the Cauvery dispute, requesting him to convene a meeting with his counterparts in the Cauvery basin states to find a solution, even as protests and the total bandh in the state on Friday, led to mounting losses to the state economy.

Red-flagging the impact of the shutdowns on the IT industry in particular -- some estimates are putting the loss to the state economy at Rs 10,000 crore -- Siddaramaiah pleaded for an urgent response “within a few hours” from the PM. “The unrest, if continued, will not only have a serious impact on the economy of the state, particularly the IT economy which brings enormous revenue and foreign exchange to the country but will also impact the livelihood of the common man adversely in large parts of the state,” he said.

BJP state president and MP BS Yeddyurappa, condemned the move to involve the PM in the matter as "ridiculous and escapist move" by Siddaramaiah.