Is There A Karnataka Bandh On September 29?

Karnataka Bandh: Karnataka Water Conservation Committee president, Kurubur Shanthakumar announced on Thursday that the protesters will block Highways from 11 am to 1 pm tomorrow i.e on September 29 as the govt failed to act on their demands that were submitted during Bengaluru Bandh on Tuesday.

The decision to cancel the bandh has been welcomed by the state government and by many businesses and organizations. However, some pro-Kannada organizations have expressed disappointment and have said that the bandh should have gone ahead.

Earlier, the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police has emphasized that all forms of bandh are forbidden by the Supreme Court. However, he has also said that people have the right to protest peacefully, and that the sole sanctioned location for protests and rallies is Freedom Park in Bengaluru.

Any organisation that wants to lend their support to the bandh can do so on their own, but they must not force anyone else to participate. If any damage to property occurs during the bandh, the respective protesting organisation will be held accountable for the costs.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed his reservations on Thursday regarding the bandh called by various pro-Kannada groups over the Cauvery issue. He appealed to protesters to adhere to the court orders, stating, "I will not oppose the bandh, but responsible individuals will respect the court orders. It is our duty to safeguard public property. The CWMA has scheduled a meeting for Friday, and I have instructed officials to attend the meeting in person. Our officials will strongly present the argument that we cannot release water to Tamil Nadu. I kindly request the public not to participate in the bandh."

Bengaluru Hotel Owners Association President PC Rao extended support for the bandh called by pro-Kannada groups and decided to remain shut on Friday.

It's worth noting that the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has mandated Karnataka to release 3,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu from September 28 to October 15.

Meanwhile, the state theater association has expressed its support for Karnataka bandh scheduled for tomorrow. According to the association, film screenings will be suspended until the evening, after which regular showings will resume as usual.

Passengers at the Bengaluru airport have been advised to follow alerts from respective airlines, law enforcement agencies and media releases for further updates, in view of the one-day stata wide bandh.