No let up in Cauvery agitation in K'taka

Mysore, Feb 24 (UNI) The protests against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal continued unabated in the Cauvery basin districts of Mandya, Mysore and Chamarajanagar for the 20th day today, even as an all-party meeting rejected the award.

In Mandya district, students of various schools and colleges boycotted classes and took out processions. Private bus owners joined the protest by not plying their vehicles in the district.

Though normal traffic was disturbed on the Mysore-Bangalore highway for some time, police authorities ensured flow of trafffic by forcing the agitators to stage dharna on one side of the road.

The relay hunger strike by the Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi members continued at the Silver Jubilee park.

In Mysore, police arrested some Akhila Karnataka Dr Rajkumar and Shivarajkumar Fans Association members when they tried to storm the office of the Deputy Commissioner. However, they were later released.

About 25 inmates of Odanandi, an NGO, began a cycle rally from the Deputy Commissioner's office to Bangalore to submit a memorandum to the Governor tomorrow. Former Union Minister and Mysore District Cauvery Kriya Samithi President V Sreenivasa Prasad flagged off the rally.

In Chamarajanagar district, about 20 Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha workers were arrested when they tried to lay seige to the Deputy Commissioner's Office. Various BEd college students took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.

Agitations were also held at Kollegal, Gundlupet and Hanur villages in the district.

The all-party meeting in Bangalore unanimously resolved to reject the award and chart the future course of action in consultation with legal luminaries and irrigation experts.

UNI