New Delhi, Aug. 12 -- The Congress government in Karnataka has repeatedly failed to safeguard the state's interests on the Cauvery issue and has kept its own legal team out of the decision-making process, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy alleged on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumaraswamy strongly criticised the state government for failing to adequately consult and respect the senior legal counsel representing Karnataka before the Supreme Court and the Cauvery authorities and committees.

He referred to the meeting of Karnataka MPs convened by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi, where senior counsel Mohan Katarki was reportedly not even provided a chair and subsequ...