Protests escalated on Monday in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu after Supreme Court's judgement asking Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery water pre day to Tamil Nadu till Septemebr 20. Earlier, the apex court had ordered Karnataka to release 15,000 cusecs a day to ameliorate the plight of farmers of the neighbouring state.
Sporadic violence broke out in Bangalore and in some other parts of Karnataka even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa to ensure adequate safety and protection for Kannada-speaking people in the state.
Protests by fringe Tamil outfits erupted in parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with some commercial and government establishments of Karnataka being targeted. At least six lorries with Tamil Nadu registration were set on fire or stoned and a Chennai-based mobile shop and two hotels were attacked in Bengaluru, police said, as activists of different pro-Kannada outfits took to the streets.
Bengaluru police said prohibitory orders had not been imposed in any part of the city and asked people not to pay heed to rumours. Elaborate security arrangements are in place in the city with 15,000 policemen being deployed.