As vehicles of the both the southern states were stoned and burnt by protestors over the sharing of the Cauvery river water, police were not allowing even ambulances with Karnataka number plates to drive into Tamil Nadu across the border.
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The dawn-to-dusk shut down strike called in Tamil Nadu by various organisations representing farmers, traders, transporters and others evoked a good response and ended peacefully on Friday.
Majority of auto rickshaws, private buses and commercial freight operators are off the roads.
VCK Chief Thol Thirumavalavan, who staged a rail roko with his supporters by blocking a North India bound express train, was detained by police near Basin Bridge here. Blaming the Centre on Cauvery, unidentified persons pelted stones at an office of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and some glass panes were damaged, police said. “However, we named these three leading actors because they are more influential than others and they failed to realise that their speech has translated into violence”, his counsel M. Jayabal said.
Lashing out at the state government for offering to release 10,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu, Yeddyurappa alleged that the government raised the issue of law and order while presenting its case before the court, instead of furnishing the facts relating to water level at reservoirs in both the states.
The party’s local unit president V Saminathan told reporters that the Karnataka government had “failed” to protect Tamils and their properties.
K R Nandakumar, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Nursery Primary Matriculation and CBSE (private) Schools Association, said circulars have been sent to 18,000 schools in the state about the body’s decision to close down educational institutions on Friday on account of the bandh.
Police patrolling was intensified and all vulnerable areas were taken care of, a senior police officer said.
Siddaramaiah appealed for peace and urged her to ensure the safety of Kannada speaking people living in the state and urged the Tamil Nadu authorities to take action against those indulging in violence.
There were several incidents in which Tamil Nadu truck drivers were humiliated and assaulted by the demonstrators in Karnataka.
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However, under pressure following the protests, the Karnataka government approached the Supreme Court on September 11 seeking modification of the interim order. However, he said there was a clause in the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal providing sufficient scope for mediation in case of any State being unhappy over the verdict.
