DMK chief Stalin asks T.N. CM Vijay to convene all-party meeting on Cauvery dispute

DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday (August 1, 2026) asked Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay whether he would convene an all-party meeting to discuss the Cauvery water dispute.Referring to recent developments in Karnataka, Mr. Stalin said the neighbouring State had demonstrated political unity on the issue.“The Karnataka Chief Minister initially invited Mr. Vijay for talks but has now asked him not to visit and instead convened an all-party meeting on August 2. This shows that all political parties in Karnataka are united on the Cauvery issue,” he said in a social media post.Recalling his earlier advice that talks with Karnataka would not help Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said that was why he had urged the Chief Minister not to visit the neighbouring State.“A legal battle is the only way to deal with a State that has consistently denied Tamil Nadu its rightful share of Cauvery water. Karnataka treats Tamil Nadu as a destination only for surplus water. But Mr. Vijay appears to have believed that he could secure water by holding talks,” he said.Mr. Stalin said Karnataka had asked Mr. Vijay not to visit after the Cauvery Water Management Authority directed the State to release water to Tamil Nadu.“We anticipated these developments and therefore urged the Chief Minister to convene an all-party meeting. Will he do so now?” Mr. Stalin asked. Published - August 01, 2026 01:02 pm IST