Bandh paralyses Bangalore, ignites Cauvery water protest

Bangalore, Oct 6:

and its capital Bangalore witnessed one of the worst bandh on Saturday, Oct 6 when state wide

was called to show protest against the government's decision of the

River Authority (CRA) to release water to Tamil Nadu.

Schools and colleges have chosen to remain shut for the bandh. BMTC and KSRTC buses were kept off the roads in Garden city. Taking advantage of the grim situation, some auto drivers, who were plying in the city in the morning, demanded sky rocketing fares.

Security has been beefed up in the city. Police officials have been deployed in different parts of the city to provide full security to commuters. Bandh supporters earlier on Friday had appealed all Bangaloreans to support their agitation by not reporting to their respective work places.

The bandh was called by around 526 pro-Kannada organisations following the protest rallies which had affected traffic movements in the city on Friday when panic-stricken people of Bangalore thronged grocery shops, petrol bunks and other shops selling essential goods to fill up their stocks at homes.

Right from milkmen to petrol bunk owners to bus drivers, almost everyone supported the bandh on Saturday. All business shops and establishments kept their shutters down. Government offices also witnessed minimal attendance.

Petrol bunks remained closed from 6 am to 6 pm. No gas cylinders were delivered the whole day. Milk supply has been affected from 8 am onwards. Chemist shops owners also joined the protest by keeping their shutters down.

Cable TV association stopped broadcasting entertainment channels from 6 am to 6 am. Only news channels were aired. No theatre hall screened movie shows on Saturday. Even shooting of films and TV soaps also were not held.

Advocate associations have also joined the bandh and courts will remain closed. Several popular Kannada film stars like Ambareesh, Shivraj Kumar and Prem have expressed their solidarity with the cause of farmers of Karnataka and supported the bandh. Seers and other social leaders of Karnataka have supported the bandh. Almost all the political parties have joined the protest.

OneIndia News