release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The statewide shutdown call has been issued by ‘Kannada Okkuta’, an umbrella organisation for Kannada outfits including factions of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) and various farmers’ bodies. The bandh would enforced from dawn to dusk, the organisers said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while maintaining that he supports the right to protest, has asked the demonstrators to maintain peace. The deployment of police personnel would also be escalated to prevent untoward incidents, officials said. The Congress government in the state on September 27 said it would be approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee's direction to issue 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from September 28 to October 15.
Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Normal life is expected to be affected in parts of the state, including the capital and IT hub Bengaluru due to the shutdown. There will be a massive protest procession from Town Hall to Freedom Park in the city, in which people from all walks of life are likely to participate, the organisers said.
They have said that the bandh is for the entire Karnataka and that they will try to shut highways, toll gates, rail services, and also airports. The opposition BJP and JD(S) too have extended their support to the bandh, as also hotels, autorickshaws and hail riders associations in Karnataka. "Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union and Ola Uber Drivers and Owners’ Association (OUDOA) are supporting the bandh.
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