'Vijay is a courageous leader': DKS after TN CM agrees to defer Cauvery-related Bengaluru visit

Following widespread protests by farmers and political groups across Karnataka, DK Shivakumar requested C Jospeh Vijay to postpone his visit.

Updated on: Aug 2, 2026, 19:24:45 IST

By Stuti Gupta

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Karnataka chief minister DK Shivakumar said, on Sunday, that Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay had agreed to postpone his scheduled visit to Bengaluru following a request from him. Amid severe rainfall shortages in Karnataka, the visit was intended to discuss and resolve the inter-state dispute over the release of water from the Cauvery river.

C Joseph Vijay accepted DK Shivakumar's request to delay his visit to Karnataka in order to resolve the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. (PTI)

Shivakumar had requested Vijay to postpone his visit in light of a charged atmosphere in Karnataka wherein farmers opposed the directive by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to release 3,500 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

'He is a courageous leader'

Following calls for widespread bandhs and protests across Karnataka, particularly in Mandya, Shivakumar urged Vijay to postpone his August 3 visit to the state.

“I have great respect for him. Though he may be new to politics, he is a courageous leader. I congratulated him on his bold decision. Whatever our political differences may be, he wanted to come to Karnataka,” Shivakumar told reporters after chairing an all-party meeting on Cauvery row, as per PTI.

Also Read I TN minister rejects demand for all-party meeting to discuss Cauvery water issue

“I only requested that we meet in a better and more cordial atmosphere because I don't want anyone shouting against my friends. We should respect each other. We have to live together and work together. Ultimately, India is one.”

Bandhs and protests in Karnataka

Following a severe rainfall deficit in Karnataka this year, the CWMA's decision to uphold the directive issued by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's decision to release water to Tamil Nadu triggered unrest among farmers in the state. Ahead of Vijay's visit, Kannada demonstrators tore posters of Vijay's recently released film Jananayagan and forced theatres at some places to halt its screening.

Shivakumar, on Sunday, appealed to political parties and Kannada organisations to hold off from calling a bandh over the issue. He further revealed that the state had received only about 35 per cent of its normal rainfall so far this year, as per ANI's report.

Also Read I Why Karnataka-Tamil Nadu Cauvery dispute keeps recurring — a river that has changed, a framework that hasn't

"Against the expected release of nearly 40 TMC by July, we have been able to release only around 3.6 TMC because of the severe shortage," he said. Initially the state had refrained from releasing water from its reservoirs but improved inflows and the need to ensure dam safety had compelled the government to release a limited quantity downstream after maintaining safe reservoir levels.

"We are releasing limited quantities of water through canals only to fill lakes and tanks meant for drinking water purposes, and not for irrigation," he noted. The two states have also spoken about implementing a distress-sharing formula.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stuti Gupta
Stuti Gupta is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she is a part of the General News team, tasked with reporting on happenings across the country impacting domestic as well as international ecospheres. In her role at HT, she is responsible for keeping a track of incoming news updates, packaging stories and publishing them in a format best suited to their purpose. She holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Journalism from St Xavier’s, Mumbai and is partial towards working on international affairs. Apart from her interest in the geopolitical world, she is a keen reader, writer, orator, debater and learner who loves picking up new information. She has been recognized for her previous literary work at the international level with a Gold Finalist, Gold and Silver Award in various participating years at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition along with winning the third prize and getting her story published in Children’s World in 2017. Barring academic and professional pursuits, she has a passion for travelling to new places, exploring new cultures and cuisines, documenting them through words and pictures and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. She is also an avid enthusiast of studying art forms such as cinema, dance, theatre and music as a tool for cultural storytelling and actively participates in them.Read More

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