Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay defended his decision on Friday to consider direct talks with Karnataka over the Cauvery water dispute. Vijay said he proposed talks with Karnataka on the Cauvery issue, hoping for a positive outcome. Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly session, Vijay said he did not want to indulge in “cheap politics” over the dispute. Responding to the opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin in the session, Vijay mentioned how Tamil Nadu had handled the Cauvery issue since 1969 from considering dialogue to sticking to dealing with the dispute legally. “Our stand on the Cauvery issue remains firm.