Water row: Protest continues in Cauvery basin

Following Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s  direction to the state to release 10,000 cusecs water to Tamil Nadu till October 15, protests continued across the Cauvery basin with  Karnataka Film Chamber supporting the stir on Saturday.

More than 20 Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists were arrested when they tried to stop trucks, tempos and other vehicles from Tamil Nadu on the Chamrajanagar to Sathyamangalam road.  The JD(S) activists disrupted traffic for more than a hour on the Nanjangud to Chamrajanagar road. In Mandya, Karnataka Film Chamber  president Chandrashekar, Employees Federation secretary Ravindra, Producers Association secretary Nagendra and Rajkumar Fans Association  president Sa Ra Govind participated in the dharna at Silver Jubilee park.

Govind said that they had supported the bandh  call given by Kannada organisations to protest against the release of water to TamilNadu.  He said that the Bangaloreans who need 11 tmc ft of water for drinking purpose would actively take part in the agitation.  Govind said that Union Ministers from the state should resign  and  like former Union minister Ambreesh take part in the stir.  Former MLA L R Shivarame Gowda along with his supporters took out processions from inspection bungalow to Silver Jubilee park and participated in the dharna.

Padayatra on Tuesday

State JD(S) Youth Wing vice president Ashok Jairam will take out a padayatra from Mandya to Rajbhavan against the release of water to Tamil Nadu on September 25. Meanwhile, H D Kumaraswamy supporters and Janata Dal workers staged a protest at Gandhi Square.

Meanwhile, Congress leader T B Jayachandra in Tumkur on Saturday while referring to PM’s advise to the state to release water to Tamil Nadu said that  he is ready to sacrifice his post in the interest of the people of the state.   In Banaglore, senior BJP leader and MP Ananth Kumar said it was not possible to release that much of water because of the prevailing drought in Karnataka.