Cauvery agitation in K'taka enters 18th day

Mysore, Feb 22 (UNI) The widespread agitation by farmers and various organisations against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal showed no signs of let up, with the stir in the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar entering the 18th day today.

In Mandya, the agitators continued their rasta roko at various places. A number of organisations took out processions in K R Pet, Srirangapatna and Pandavapura towns. The Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi continued its relay hunger strike at Silver Jubilee park.

Protestors pelted stones on a Tamil Nadu registered lorry in Mandya.

Meanwhile, the Congress workers and fans of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting M H Ambareesh, who resigned recently, were preparing for a rally in Mandya tomorrow, in which the actor-turned-politician would launch his agitation against the Cauvery verdict.

In Mysore, folk artistes of various cultural organisations in the city took out a novel protest march, wearing attractive masks with slogans written on them. The Mysore District Journalists Association and Mysore Reporters Guild jointly staged a protest for an hour and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to the President and Prime Minister, urging them to resolve the issue soon.

In Chamarajanagar, marches and dharna were organised by various organisations.

A Mangalore report said various religious and political groups took out a Jatha from Halpankatta to the Deputy Commissioner's Office, seeking justice for Karnataka.

The jatha, under the banner Dakshina Kannada unit Kannada Sahitya Parishat, submitted a memorandum addressed to the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, urging them to come to a consensus on the issue through meaningful dialogue with farmers, experts and leaders rather than through commission.

The jatha, flagged off by Sri Vishvesha Thirtha Swami of Udupi Pejavar Mutt at Kadri temple near here, called for peaceful protests all over the State till justice was done to Karnataka.

UNI