Cauvery agitation enters 13th day

Mysore, Feb 17 (UNI) The agitation by farmers and other organisations against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal entered the 13th day today in the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar.

Though vehicular traffic between Mysore and Bangalore was obstructed for some time in Mandya district, the KSRTC authorities plied normal bus services on the express highway.

In Maddur and Srirangapatna, farmers and Kannada Rakshana Vedike activists stopped buses for some time. The relay hunger strike by the Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi continued in Mandya.

KRRS President Puttaniah told reporters at Mandya that the KRRS would take farmers from both Mandya and Mysore to meet the Governor on February 23 or 24. The KRRS would also organise a rally in Mysore on March 9 to discuss the future course of action on the issue.

In Mysore, Cauvery Kriya Samithi, led by its President and former Union Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad, staged a demonstration in the city. Sex workers of the city also joined the widespread agitation by forming a human chain.

In all, 52 religious heads of various Mutts have decided to take part in the stir by taking out a procession on February 20 in the city, led by Siddaganga mutt seer Balagangadharanath Swamiji, Sri Deshikendra Swamiji of Suttur, Sri Vishwathirtha Swamiji of Udupi, Sri Ganapathi Sachidananda Swamiji and Sri Muragarajendra Swamiji of Chitradurga.

In Chamarajanagar district, taxi owners and drivers took out a procession at Kollegal.

Cauvery water had been taken in tankers from Srirangapatna to Dharmasthala last evening to anoint Lord Bahubali tomorrow, praying for justice for the State. Karnataka Cooperative Minister G T Deve Gowda, C H Vijayashankar, MP, and MLAs performed pooja to the river, before drawing water.

UNI