BENGALURU: Bengaluru is expected to see a complete shutdown on Tuesday as farmer bodies, Kannada organisations and opposition parties have called for a ‘Bandh’ in the city to protest against the release of water from the Cauvery river in Karnataka to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, protests have been planned at Freedom Park, Raj Bhawan, TownHall by pro Kannada organisations. However, the Police Commissioner alerted that protests would only be allowed in Freedom Park.
Cabs will be plying as usual in the city. Ola Uber Drivers and Owners Association president Tanveer Pasha said that Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Ola and Uber services will be as usual.
However, restaurants will remain closed in the city, President Bangalore Hoteliers Association PC Rao said.”It’s our duty, we are also supporting the Karnataka bandh called tomorrow (by pro-Kannada organisations) as we are not getting justice for several years,” PC Rao said.
Meanwhile, airline Vistara came up with a travel update asking its travellers to plan their rides to and from the airport with caution since private transport might be disrupted.
“Due to the ‘Bengaluru Bandh’ on September 26, 2023, private transport might be disrupted. Customers travelling from Bangalore are advised to allow more time for their journey to the airport,” the airline said in a post on ‘X’.
Speaking on the Bandh, BJP leader C T Ravi said, “Today our State Party Chief and BS Yediyurappa declared support. We will support it and with it, we will also protest in front of the Gandhi statue.”
Meanwhile, amid the ongoing Cauvery river water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu, Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) MP HD Deve Gowda on Monday in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested for a team of experts to study the water and standing crop situation in Karnataka.
“I have made an appeal to the PM on the prevailing situation. In my letter to the PM, I wrote that the Jal Shakti department should file a review petition and a committee of experts should be sent to Karnataka to study the water and standing crop situation. I requested the same to the Vice President of the country,” the ex-PM said in a joint press briefing with JD(S) leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy.
The JD(S) supremo further said that his party is here ‘to save the people’ of the state.
“I don’t want to speak on alliance and other issues at present. I’m only speaking pertaining to Cauvery. I don’t want to say anything related to bandh called tomorrow. I’m alive not for politics or power. We are here to save the people of the state. My party exists for this. I was crying when I was speaking in parliament about Cauvery,” he added. (ANI)