Bengaluru: Pro-Kannada and farmers’ organisations have called for a ‘Karnataka Bandh’ on Friday to protest the release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. As a result, the administration in Bengaluru has declared a holiday for all educational institutions in the city.
KA Dayananda, Bengaluru City District Deputy Commissioner stated, “As Karnataka bandh has been declared by various organizations, a holiday has been declared for all schools and colleges in Bengaluru city in the interest of students.”
In light of the bandh, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed in the Mandya district. This means that schools and colleges in the district will remain closed tomorrow, according to District Collector Kumar.
Karnataka has been witnessing protests over the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu after the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the decisions of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and its assisting body Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) that directed the state to do so.
The CWRC ordered Karnataka to ensure the release of 3,000 cusecs of Cauvery water at Biligundlu starting from September 28 till October 15, 2023. This is a decrease from the earlier release of 5,000 cusecs.
Amidst these protests, members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene interrupted a press conference by actor Siddharth, demanding he leave the venue. Siddharth was promoting his upcoming film ‘Chikku’ in Bengaluru at the time. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike activists also held a massive protest against the state MPs and Siddaramaiah Government over the Cauvery water issue.
Ashwini Gowda, the President of KRV Women’s Wing, called for unity among Kannadigas in addressing the matter. She also demanded the intervention of the Prime Minister and urged the state-elected MPs to stand up for the people of Karnataka or resign from their posts.
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