Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has said that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Cauvery issue if the situation demands.
Speaking to presspersons at Bylahalli near Hassan on Sunday, Mr. Deve Gowda said that he was not in a position to talk about the Cauvery issue right now. “H.D. Kumaraswamy has attended the meeting with the Chief Minister on the issue, and he has already made his stand clear. If necessary, I will meet the PM on the issue,” he said.
Later, speaking to the media in Hassan, Mr. Deve Gowda said that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Water Resources portfolio, has instructed his officers not to share information about the availability of water in reservoirs with anybody. “The officers are not giving information. They say they have instructions from the Minister not to disclose information,” he said.
Responding to a question on the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), Mr. Deve Gowda said that 28 parties had a meeting in Mumbai. “Have they announced their Prime Ministerial candidate? Have they appointed a convener? Have they fixed the seats among the partners?”, he questioned.
Referring to reports of the JD(S) having an understanding with the BJP in Karnataka, Mr. Deve Gowda said that the BJP had not appointed its Leader of Opposition yet. “So far, the BJP has not appointed its leader in the House. With whom can we talk? Siddaramaiah often says both the BJP and JD(S) go together. But there is no unity among the BJP leaders themselves,” he remarked.
