Signature campaign against Cauvery award from Mar 22

Mysore, Mar 21: The Mysore District Cauvery Kriya Samithi, staging a dharna here since last 45 days against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, today decided to launch a signature campaign from tomorrow as the next phase of agitation.

Addressing media persons here, Samithi President and former Union Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad said lakhs of signatures would be collected from the public and sent to President A P J Abdul Kalam and the Union Government, demanding justice for the State.

Welcoming the decision of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to discuss the issue with his Tamil Nadu counterpart M Karunanidhi, he criticised former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa of using the vexed issue for reaping political mileage.

Mr Karunanidhi should ask the MPs from his State to discuss the issue in Parliament, the highest democratic body in the country.

Mr Prasad said a meeting of Cauvery basin leaders had been convened in Bangalore on March 28 by Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi President G Made Gowda. The meeting would discuss the Cauvery issue and other water disputes, including Krishna river problem. The meeting would also decide the future course of action of the peaceful Cauvery agitation.

He said the Samithi decided to take the Kabini Raitha Hitarakshana Horata Samithi into confidence about the agitations.

Meanwhile, a women's organisation staged a novel protest at K R Circle by performing homa with Veda Gosha against the award.

Agitations and protests continued in Mandya district. The dharna at Silver Jubilee park by the Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi members continued, as also in Pandavapura, Srirangpatna and K R Pet.

UNI