Buoyed by SC, Jaya takes on Centre over Cauvery

Adding a new dimension to the row, she also expressed fears that the three Congress-ruled states involved in the dispute — Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry — may take a decision unfavourable to Tamil Nadu if it went unrepresented at the meeting.

Her statement drew a protest from Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, who is in the Capital to seek an audience with Vajpayee and to request him to convene a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority before the Prime Minister leaves for New York on Monday. ‘‘This is an unfair statement. After all, each state is concerned about its own interests,’’ Krishna said.

A tense Krishna was also holding a series of meetings with some of his ministers and the state’s legal advisers here while waiting for a word from the Prime Minister’s Office about the appointment he had sought. Though the state has begun to release 1.25 tmc ft of water daily, there is a growing fear that Karnataka’s reservoirs would be depleted totally without leaving any water for its own farmers.

As hopes began to recede about Vajpayee convening a meeting of the CRA before Monday, Karnataka was considering the option of knocking on the doors of the Supreme Court. There is also a move to convene a special session of the state legislature to decide the next course of action.

But Jayalalithaa, who got relief from the apex court, also isn’t happy. Attacking the Centre for the ‘‘undue haste’’ in convening tomorrow’s meeting, she feared that this could give an opportunity to the Vajpayee Government to ‘‘work against Tamil Nadu’s interests’’.

While TN had made a ‘‘reasonable’’ request for time to attend the monitoring committee meeting which had been convened at only 48 hours’ notice, she said, ‘‘we are threatened with dire consequences’’.