Life across Mandya district of Karnataka was affected on Tuesday due to a bandh, called by the Mandya Zilla Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti (MZRHS), against discharge of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court’s direction.
Traffic between Bengaluru and Mysuru was drastically affected by the bandh.
Members of the MZRHS and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) and Kannada activists blocked the traffic at 20 places between Srirangapatna and Maddur taluk on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. Sources in the police department said vehicular movement was blocked for over 45 minutes on the Mysuru-KRS highway and also on other highways at various taluks.
Shops, commercial establishments, film theatres and hotels remained closed in support of the bandh. Attendance in government offices was thin, police officials said.
Traffic diversion
As agitators staged demonstrations on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, the Ramanagaram police installed advisory boards at Bidadi, Ramanagaram and Channapatna asking motorists to avoid the highway. They also diverted the traffic to Mysuru via Kanakapura, Malavalli and Bannur.
The Mandya police detained several agitators when they tried to ransack some government offices near the KSRTC bus stand in the town.
Members of the KRRS and Mekedatu Horata Samithi staged demonstrations on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway near the KSRTC bus stand in Ramanagaram.
Demonstrations in Mysuru
Farmers organisations staged demonstrations in different parts of Mysuru on Tuesday in protest against the Supreme Court order. Farmers gathered in front of the Command Area Development Authority (CADA) in Mysuru as a mark of protest.
Farmers, led by Kabini Hitharakshana Vedike leader Kurubur Shanthakumar, blocked the road leading to Nanjangud and burnt an effigy of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Police tightened security in different parts of Mysuru on Tuesday.
KSRTC officials said services to Mandya and Bengaluru were suspended after 11 a.m. in view of protests breaking out in Mandya and farmers blocking roads. "Though we diverted buses to Bengaluru via Kanakapura, they encountered road blocks on the alternative route as well. Hence, we were forced to suspend the services to Bengaluru and Mandya", said a KSRTC official.
Several private vehicle drivers from Mysuru, who tried to reach Bengaluru via Kanakapura too had to return to Mysuru in view of the road blockades enroute. "I was unable to reach Malavalli from Bannur due to a road blockade enroute. I had to return to Mysuru via a village road," said Nisar Ahmed, who made a vain bid to reach Bengaluru via the alternate Kanakapura road on Tuesday.
The Advocates Association in Mysuru boycotted court proceedings on Tuesday. Advocates, who gathered for a demonstration outside the court complex, decided to stay away from the proceedings to register their protest against court order.
President of the Advocates' Association of Mysuru Chandramouli found fault with the feedback provided by the State government officials to senior counsel Fali S. Nariman, who is arguing Karnataka's case in the Supreme Court.
"The State government's homework is not good. The feedback provided to counsel is not adequate", Mr. Chandramouli told The Hindu . "The State government should obtain the opinion of senior counsels in the High Court and include the same in the feedback provided to counsel arguing Karnataka's case in the apex court."
In contrast, he said, the Tamil Nadu government does good homework before its officials proceed to Delhi and present its case. "It is because of the failure of the State government that Karnataka has received such an unscientific direction", he said.
Under the aegis of the Advocates Association in Mysuru, around 500 lawyers will file separate review petitions before the High Court. "We will send the review petitions by post", he said.
