Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to resolve their water dispute peacefully.
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India suffers severe water shortages that cause frequent tensions between states and the row over sharing the Cauvery River which starts in drought-hit Karnataka stretches back decades.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed pain over the attacks in the two states locked in a bitter river water sharing row and appealed for calm while stressing that violence can not provide a solution to any problem.
“A grave injustice is being done to us as the state is forced to release more water for growing crops in Tamil Nadu when we don’t have sufficient water for even drinking because of deficit rains”, protest organiser Pravish Shetty told local TV.
Businesses in Bengaluru have faced four days of disruption this month because of protests about the water dispute and an unrelated trade union-organised strike on September 2.
To many, Bengaluru’s rise reflects the modern face of a booming India, but the city has also been a victim of poor urban planning and congestion that can produce traffic jams for hours.
“We will not tolerate the attacks on Tamils and their property”.
The city has been at a standstill since Monday (12 September) after violent protests erupted in several parts of the city over a century-old dispute pertaining to the Cauvery River with the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
In its September five order, the apex court had directed release of 15,000 cusecs for 10 days to ameliorate the plight of farmers of the neighboring state, which had triggered strong protests from farmers and pro-Kannada outfits with Karnataka observing a bandh against it on September nine.
Addressing a press conference here after an emergency cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister also urged that the image of “Brand Bengaluru” as India’s tech capital should not be sullied with further violence, as was witnessed on Monday.
The river, which flows into Tamil Nadu from the south of Karnataka, has been a source of conflict between the two regions since the British colonial era.
Software major Infosys as well as multinationals like Amazon.com were among major employers who had asked workers to stay home on Tuesday while police enforced a curfew in parts of the city.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah appealed to citizens to maintain peace.
Karnataka’s director general of police Om Prakash said situation was under control and the state was peaceful, barring couple of stray incidents.
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As many as 350 people had been rounded up and investigations are on to find out the culprits who indulged in violence.
