BENGALURU: The State bandh on Friday from 6 am to 6 pm called by pro-Kannada organisations to protest over the release of water to Tamil Nadu brought normal life to a halt in most districts including Bengaluru city.
Meanwhile, former MLA and veteran Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj stated that a rally of vehicles would be held from Mysuru Bank circle in Bengaluru to Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir on October 5 at 11 am.
The reason, he gave, to hold a mega rally is to draw the attention of the Central Government over River Cauvery water sharing between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and about a thousand vehicles from all parts of the State would assemble in Bengaluru city and take out the rally covering Kengeri, Ramnagar, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya, Srirangaptna and Mysuru before culminating at KRS reservoir.
Leading the protest was former MLA and senior Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj who participated in the protest wearing burqa and the reason he stated for wearing burqa that burqa is black in colour and the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept the people of Karnataka in the dark over water release and burqa is also a symbol of women. He also carried an empty pot on head as a mark of protest.
Police had tightened security across Bengaluru city and several Kannada activists were detained by the policemen when they tried to lay siege to Kempegowda International Airport. Some activists were also taken into custody by the policemen near Town Hall. The Kannada activists shouted “Cauvery Ours.”
The police action against Kannada activists drew criticism from Vatal Nagaraj and he said “We would have taken out a rally from Town Hall to Freedom Park and dispersed. What else could we have done?”
Shops, commercial establishments came to a halt and heart part of Bengaluru city such as Brigade road, M.G. Road, Chickpet, Avenue road, Kalasipalya, Krishnaraja Market among others wore a deserted look as all shops and commercial established down the shutters.
Schools and Colleges were declared holiday across the State as a precautionary measure. Karnataka State Hotels Associations had also extended support to bandh call and hotels, restaurants, bakeries, chatr centres among others remained closed during the bandh hours.
Kannada film actors staged a protest at Film Chamber premises in Bengaluru city expressing solidarity to the bandh call and actors Shivarajkumar, Darshan, Upendra, Vijay Raghavendra, veteran actor Srinath among others participated.
In Bengaluru city, officials concerned of Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation operated few buses owing to low passenger turnout. There were protests by Kannada activists at Attibele and Hosur borders sharing boundary with Tamil Nadu. In Chikkamagaluru, Kannada activists burnt effigies of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for water release to Tamil Nadu.
In Mysuru, the Hotels Association led by its president Narayan Gowda submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Rajendra against water release to Tamil Nadu by the Karnataka government.
Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru that the bandh was peaceful and nothing untoward.
