A special session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly convened on Thursday evening passed a unanimous resolution,  asking the Union Government to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on its proposal to build a dam across Cauvery River at Mekedattu.

The special session was convened following pressure by the opposition parties led by the DMK. The resolution asking the Centre to cancel the approval given by the Central Water Commission to Karnataka  for preparing the DPR was moved by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and was adopted unanimously by the House after a brief discussion.

A public meeting held by Opposition parties at Thiruchirappalli late Tuesday had called for Tamil Nadu  secession from Indian Union if the Centre fails to make Karnataka from thelatter’s  decision ti build the Dam across Cauvery. “We should break India and we should secede from India,” Vaiko, the MDMK founder had thundered in the meeting and this was seconded by DMK chief M K Stalin.

“This House requests the Government of India to direct Karnataka not to take up any construction works by it or through its agencies at Mekedatu or at any other place in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka State  without the consent of Tamil Nadu,” said the resolution.

Leaders of all political parties in Tamil Nadu and farmers across the State fear that construction of any dam across the Cauvery by Karnataka would rob the lower riparian State of its quantity of water allocated by the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the Supreme Court.