Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa today announced that a dawn-to-dusk bandh, unanimously supported by all political parties, would be observed on Wednesday to condemn the Karnataka government’s failure to release 9000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as ordered by the Supreme Court.‘‘This is only the first step to show how Tamil Nadu is united on the Cauvery issue and our strength of feelings to the Centre, Karnataka and the entire country,’’ Jayalalithaa told mediapersons at the Secretariat after chairing a three-hour long all-party meeting to discuss the imbroglio. BANGALORE: Brushing aside Opposition criticism, Karnataka CM S.M. Krishna embarked on Monday on his nine-day padayatra from the city to the Cauvery reservoirs. After offering prayers at the Rajarajeshwari Temple on Mysore Road, Krishna started out. On Opposition allegations the padyatra was a gimmick, he said: ‘‘There are no polls round the corner. I don’t see why they want to attribute political motives.” (ENS) ‘‘We don’t believe the bandh will achieve everything, but it is to show we are united and condemn Karnataka’s unconstitutional way of functioning.’’Since the Centre had already washed its hands of the issue the state felt that the Supreme Court was the only alternative. ‘‘We hope the apex court gives us justice.’’ She announced that the second contempt petition against Karnataka for not abiding by the apex court would be filed tomorrow.With regard to filing a petition to claim damages from that state for loss of crops due to non-release of water, she said it would be done after the process of assessment of loss, being carried out now, was completed.Referring to Vajpayee’s statement today that the Centre would not intervene in the issue, Jayalalithaa charged that this showed that the Centre was guilty of abdicating its responsibility on the crucial issue. ‘‘It bodes ill for democracy and the federal set-up,’’ she charged.Recalling her earlier pleas to Vajpayee to invoke Articles 256 and 365 against Karnataka to make it release water to Tamil Nadu. And, if even these measures failed to achieve the desired result, dismiss that government under Art 356. She regretted the Centre paid no heed to these demands.Karnataka’s flouting the various SC directives had led to a ‘‘constitutional anarchy in the country.’’ While the DMK boycotted the meeting, 36 other parties, including Congress, took part.
