Farmers, pro-Kannada groups call for bandh on Cauvery issue

Farmer and pro-Kannada groups called for a bandh in Mandya district on Saturday to protest orders to release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, as people held demonstrations in several parts of the Old Mysuru region, including Bengaluru, on Friday.

Karnataka is battling a crisis after the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the orders of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.

Swami Nirmalanandanatha, head of the influential Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt, joined the protest demonstrations in Mandya on Friday, expressing solidarity with the farmers and pledging his support to the agitation. He insisted Karnataka must fight the case legally in the apex court.

Cauvery is a lifeline for farmers in Mandya district, where they grow sugarcane in large areas.

The police stepped up security in Bengaluru and other old Mysuru regions as film stars too expressed support for the agitation. The police is maintaining tight vigil to ensure anti-social elements don't exploit the situation and target people or offices of people from Tamil Nadu.

Home minister G Parameshwara said the government recognised people's right to peaceful protest, but the police would deal firmly if anyone took law into their hands and indulged in violence. Opposition BJP and JDS accused Congress of compromising on Karnataka's interests to please its ally, the ruling DMK, in Tamil Nadu.