Bengaluru: Cauvery water issue - Karnataka bandh planned for Sep 9

Bengaluru, Sep 7: President of Kannada Chaluvali Okkoota, Vatal Nagaraj, said on Tuesday September 6 that the proposed Karnataka bandh planned for September 9 to protest against the Supreme Court (SC) order to release 15,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from River Cauvery has received support from all quarters and that the bandh will be held without fail. Speaking after leading a protest organized on Tuesday September 6 at Kempegowda bus station here where the effigy of Tamil Nadu chief minister, Jayalalithaa, was burnt, he clarified that the state-wide bandh aims at registering opposition to the order of the SC. He said that it is not practicable to accept the SC verdict and that not a drop water can be released. "We are ready to go to jail and also face contempt of court case," he stated. Vatal further claimed that the bandh call has received full support from transport employees, pro-Kannada organizations, auto rickshaw owners and drivers, artists, filmdom, IT-BT employees etc. The bandh will be in force from 6 am to 6 pm that day, he clarified. He requested people not to get fed up with repeated bandhs, as the people of the state are facing circumstances which compel them to observe bandh. "Supreme court verdict has rung death knell for the interests of the state. We are facing injustice with regard to both the rivers, Krishna and Cauvery. Therefore, we are left with no other option but to fight against injustice," he stated. Nagaraj said that a mega rally will be led at 10 am on September 9 from the town hall to Freedom Park in which over one lac people will participate. He informed that a publicity campaign is being held through a jatha from Mysore Bank Circle in the city on Wednesday September 7 as part of the bandh plan. The protestors who had gathered at the bus station raised slogans against water resources minister, M B Patil, for failing to furnish accurate information to Supreme Court, and senior advocate, Fali Nariman, for not placing affective arguments on behalf of the state in SC. President of Dr Rajkumar Fans Association, Sa Ra Govindu, president of Kannada Rakshana Vedike, Shivaramegowda, Kannada Kumar and several other leaders were present.