Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin clashed in the Assembly over the Cauvery dispute and Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam. Vijay rejected demands for another all-party meeting while defending direct talks with Karnataka and insisting Tamil Nadu’s water rights would not be compromised.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay defended his proposal to hold direct talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery water dispute during a heated Assembly exchange with Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Vijay said he was prepared to face political criticism or even personal embarrassment if dialogue with the neighbouring state could help protect Tamil Nadu’s interests. At the same time, he stressed that discussions with Karnataka would not mean abandoning the state’s legal position on Cauvery water or the proposed Mekedatu dam.

Rejecting Udhayanidhi’s demand for a fresh all-party meeting, Vijay said Tamil Nadu’s political parties had already joined together earlier to pass a resolution opposing the Mekedatu project. He added that the state’s position had subsequently been communicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Chief Minister said his government had also written to the Centre citing the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award and relevant legal provisions while urging the Union government not to permit the Karnataka project. Vijay maintained that Tamil Nadu would continue pursuing all available legal measures and would not compromise on its rights over Cauvery water.

Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned why the Tamil Nadu government was unwilling to convene an all-party meeting when Karnataka had adopted a similar approach on the contentious water-sharing issue.

The DMK leader argued that Karnataka was actively pursuing construction of the Mekedatu dam and said Tamil Nadu’s political parties should demonstrate a united position against the project.

He demanded a categorical answer from Vijay on whether the government would call an all-party consultation. Udhayanidhi also sought clarity about reports of a possible visit by Vijay to Karnataka, pointing to apparently differing statements from members of the state government.

He referred to statements suggesting the Chief Minister could travel to Karnataka for talks and contrasted them with later remarks indicating that such a visit was still under consideration.

The exchange highlighted the widening political disagreement over whether Tamil Nadu should prioritise direct negotiations, legal action or a broader political consultation involving all parties.

Responding to criticism, Vijay cautioned opposition parties against turning the Cauvery dispute into a battle for political credit. The Chief Minister referred to Tamil Nadu’s decades-long engagement with the Cauvery issue and noted that successive governments had used both negotiations and legal remedies. However, he said he did not want to revisit past decisions merely to blame previous administrations.

Vijay insisted that his attempt to engage directly with Karnataka should be viewed as an additional option rather than a change in Tamil Nadu’s established position.

He said that even if such talks failed or resulted in political embarrassment, he was prepared to accept the consequences if there was any possibility of securing a better outcome for Tamil Nadu’s people.

The Mekedatu issue remains particularly sensitive because Tamil Nadu fears that the proposed project could affect Cauvery water flows to the state. Karnataka, meanwhile, has continued to pursue the project while maintaining that it serves drinking water and power requirements.

The Cauvery confrontation was followed by another exchange over a special assistance package announced by the Tamil Nadu government.

Vijay criticised the Opposition for questioning the package and suggested that details regarding its distribution were already publicly available. Udhayanidhi responded by referring to a reported Rs 134-crore package and drought relief assistance, demanding that the government provide clear details on how the funds had been distributed.

The Opposition leader also raised TVK’s election promise concerning farm loan waivers and asked the government to provide a timeline if additional time was required to implement the assurance. The Assembly exchanges underline the growing political rivalry between the Vijay government and the DMK Opposition, with the Cauvery-Mekedatu dispute now emerging as another major point of confrontation.