Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar said Tuesday that each state should mind its own administration and not interfere with any other, hitting out at growing clamour from neighbouring Tamil Nadu over the killings of three poachers in Chamarajanagar district.
“This is a federal structure. No state should interfere with any state’s administration. (O) Panneerselvam or anyone, they should have basic culture. I cannot involve myself in any way in Tamil Nadu’s law and order problem,” Shivakumar said.
“Every state has its own problem. They should also know that. We know how to protect our state. Let them do their job. We will do our job,” he said, taking a swipe at former Tamil Nadu CM Pannerselvam’s comments on the killings in Hanur.
The killings in Hanur taluk of Chamarajanagara district has become the latest flashpoint between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, adding to the simmering tensions boiling over the Cauvery river water dispute and the contentious Mekedatu dam.
#WATCH | Bengaluru: On statements by Tamil Nadu leaders regarding the Chamarajanagar shootout, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar says, "No state should interfere with another state's administration. States have their own problems. They should also know that we know how to… pic.twitter.com/QJsyNdtPwu
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2026
The Hanur killings have added to the friction between the Shivakumar-led Congress government in Karnataka and the administration in Tamil Nadu, where the party is in an alliance with the Joseph Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).
On Monday, the final rites of the three alleged poachers—Antony Swamy from Mariya Mangala, Kumar of Laajaar Doddi and Peter from Jagannathan Doddi of Hanur taluk—took place amid heavy police presence and protesting villagers.
However, the Karnataka government defended the incident that took place in the early hours of 15 August , stating there was no “evil intention” behind the alleged encounter, which it claims was carried out in self-defense.
“Our staff tried to convince the poachers to surrender,” Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy told the legislative assembly Monday during the ongoing Monsoon session.
He briefed the House, reading from a written statement after the Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner submitted an interim report on the incident to the government.
Pictures of the items seized by the forest department show, among other things, a new pair of unused slippers with a price tag still on them, giving room for suspicions about foul play in the alleged encounter.
With the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu joining its Chief Minister Vijay’s calls for a detailed inquiry into the incident, the issue has gained significance especially ahead of the South India Chief Ministers’ meeting scheduled 20 August.
In the scheduled meeting, convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the southern states planned to mobilize consensus in finding solutions for long-pending issues and present a united front against the imminent delimitation exercise among other issues.
The Hanur encounter is likely to further sour relations between the two states, particularly as Shivakumar has been sending feelers to Vijay to find an amicable solution to the Cauvery water dispute and the Mekedatu project.
This is a developing story
(Edited by Tony Rai)