The perennial water war between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka escalated on Tuesday after the Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu, sparking off equal and opposite protests in the two states.
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The apex court on Monday, directed the Karnataka government to release 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu for the next 10 days to ameliorate the plight of farmers.
This is the second bandh that the state is bracing for in less than a week’s time and the fourth this year. The bus services to Hosur were stopped as rumours soon reached all Hosur-bound vehicles that the buses were being blocked on the road by protestors. Metro services are also likely to be hit.
Attendance at government offices was comparatively less on Friday as officials had informed that it will not be “compulsory” to work on Friday.
Karnataka Cable Operators Association has chose to express its support for the bandh and the pro-Karnataka stance by refusing to air any Tamil TV channels.
Similarly, factories, private offices, markets, shops, malls, hotels, eateries, pubs, bars, theatres and petrol bunks have remained closed in support of the shutdown.
The CM of Congress ruled Karnataka has meanwhile promised that law and order will not be disrupted any more over this issue.
“My appeal to the public is that don’t resort to agitation.And keep calm and we will make all efforts to protect the interest of the farmers”, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters in Bengaluru.
“We are making all required arrangements”.
The Karnataka Bandh has been largely peaceful with stray incidents of pelting of stones in Mysuru and Mandya districts. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa is Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah, Chief secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also been made an accused in the plea.
Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Mandya’s superintendent of police, said more than 3,500 police personnel – 1,000 of them from the central paramilitary forces – were deployed in the district.
“Karnataka Okkuta”, led by Vatal Nagaraj, called for a “Karnataka bandh” on September 9.
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On Tuesday, violent protests erupted in Mandya district in southern Karnataka with protesters blocking buses going to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. A few film stars also joined the protest. “The Supreme Court by order dated 28 December, 1995 requested the Prime Minister to resolve the issue of implementation of its order, which was then duly done to the satisfaction of all parties”, he said.
