12 hr K'taka bandh against CWDT begins peacefully

Bangalore, Feb 12: Life in Karnataka remained virtually paralysied as the 12 hour bandh called in protest against the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Dispute tribunal began peacefully, barring isolated incidents across the state.

Most of the shops and business establishments remained closed in the city and elsewhere in the state, particularly in the Cauvery basin districts with stray incidents of train blockage reported from Bangalore Rural, Mandya, Bellary and few other places.

At the Bangalore Airport police arrested five volunteers of the Karnataka Rakshna Vedike, the organisers of the Bandh when they attempted to barge into the airport. Police had to use mild force to remove them from the Airport premises. Similarly trains were blocked for a while at the City and Yeshwantpur Railway stations, besides Chennapatna in Bangalore rural and Hospet in Bellary district.

Attendence in Nationalised Banks and Central Government offices were reported to be very thin.

IT companies, including Infosys and Wipro have declared holiday.

The Congress opposition kept away from the Legislature session in support to the bandh call, while the BJP leaders staged a protest at a prominent thoroughfare.

The bandh has received widespread support from all the pro-Kannada organisations, Stars of silver screen, Merechant Associations and others are actively joining the agitation.

Eleborate bandobust has been made by police with two battalions each of Central force and CRPF, 160 KSRP platoons, Homeguards, more than 70,000 local force deployed to maintain law and order.

In State Capital more than 40 KSRP platoons were deployed in vulnerable areas. In Cauvery basin Districts of Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagara more than 120 KSRP platoons were deployed. Force from neghbouring Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have also arrived.

UNI