Cauvery row: Protests start flowing in Bangalore thick and fast

The Supreme Court’s directive to the Karnataka government to comply with the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) order to supply water to Tamil Nadu has prompted various organisations—including Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Kannada Kriya Samithi, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), Jai Karnataka, Cauvery Horata Samiti and the Youth Congress—to continue their protests on Sunday.

The protests were staged at various places across the city and its outskirts, including KR Puram, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Goraguntepalya, Raj Bhavan Road, Mysore Bank Circle and Kengeri. However, the protesters did not resort to violence as a large number of policemen were deployed.

Over 100 representatives of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation Kannada Kriya Samithi tried to lay siege to Raj Bhavan around 11.30 am, by calling slogans against the SC and the central government. They also gathered in front of GPO. The police arrested and took them to Cubbon Park police station. The protesters were released after 2 pm.  The protesters also shouted slogans against the state government.

Some protesters told DNA that all these days the state government has been saying it won’t release water to Tamil Nadu. “But now it has changed its stance. Politicians are only interested in protecting their portfolios which is resulting in indirect killing of formers. The state government should immediately stop releasing water,” they said.

“If the prime minister is honest, he will send experts to both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, assess the situation and then take a decision,” said samithi president V Channegowda.