Amid ongoing tensions between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Mekedatu project, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's all-party meeting, which was held on Monday, has urged the Modi-led Union government not to permit the project, which if implemented would harm the farmers in Tamil Nadu. The all-party meeting has drawn major attention as its first such meeting since the tensions between the two neighbours escalated. 

The all-party meeting was convened by MK Stalin to discuss the Mekedatu dam issue and it was attended by the representatives of the political parties. The meeting has passed three resolutions that urged the Union government not to permit the Karnataka government to construct the dam across the Cauvery river. The all-party meeting has come days after Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan has met the Union Jal Shakti Minister and demanded to stop the project. 

A press release that was issued from the Chief Minister's Office on Monday has said that the three resolutions were passed with the unanimous support of all parties present to put an end to the Mekedatu issue. The release further noted, "The Supreme Court has said that no construction activity should take place without any permission of lower riparian states. However, the Karnataka government is defying the order and taking efforts to construct the dam. This is condemnable and this project will reduce water availability for farmers in Tamil Nadu." 

"Therefore, we request the Union government and various departments not to provide permission for the project", the release added. It has stated that the works undertaken against the order of the apex court are a challenge to the Indian Constitution. The second resolution that was passed in the all-party meeting says that all the parties in the state should extend support and cooperation to the decisions taken by the Tamil Nadu government in opposing the project. 

In what has become the third resolution, the all-party meeting had decided that the resolutions passed during the meeting should be handed over by all the party members to the Union government as the first step as a reflection of the combined opposition displayed by the Tamil Nadu people to the project. The release further said that the Tamil Nadu government will later be taking measures, including legal actions and attending to the pending case in the Supreme Court, to stop the project. 

While addressing the reporters after the meeting, all the parties including BJP had voiced against the project and urged the Union government to revoke the project with the interest of the Tamil Nadu farmers. Earlier this month, MK Stalin's Karnataka counterpart BS Yediyurappa had written to the former asking him not to oppose the project. He claimed that the project would benefit both states. However, in his reply to Yediyurappa on July 4, MK Stalin had urged the Karnataka Chief Minister not to continue the Mekedatu project as it would affect the availability of water to Tamil Nadu. 

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan had then met Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and urged the Union government to barricade Karnataka's dam construction project across the Cauvery river, which is an important source of water to Tamil Nadu. Duraimurugan said the Union Minister has assured that the Mekedatu dam project won't be given consent without the concurrence of Tamil Nadu. As the issue has been growing between the states, Stalin had last week called an all-party meeting and it was held on Monday by adopting three unanimous resolutions of revoking the Mekedatu project.