Veteran actor Leelavati joins protest over Cauvery water row amid health issues

BENGALURU: Various farmers’ organisations, other associations and pro-Kannada outfits have been protesting in Mandya and Bengaluru against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The water level at the KRS dam has dropped to dangerous levels due to shortage of rainfall, while water has been released to Tamil Nadu. This has led to the outrage among the farmers of the state.

Now, veteran actor M Leelavati and her son actor Vinod Raj have extended their support to the farmers’ protest and joined the Cauvery protest in Mandya despite her health issues.

Speaking at her house at Soladevanahalli in Nelamangala taluk on the outskirts of Bengaluru, she said, “I will also go to the Cauvery protest for saving our water, our land and our language, all for the sake of Kannada. I will join the fight for Cauvery water”.

The Cauvery dispute is hotting up every day and questions are also being raised about film industry celebrities for not even talking about the issue. There has been a clamour that the actors and actresses in the film industry are not supporting the Cauvery protest.

Meanwhile, action prince Dhruva Sarja extended his support to the protest and said, “I will speak as a farmer’s son as a Kannadiga, aside of the fact that I am an artist. We will follow the decision after the artists’ association, including with Anant Nag, Ravichandran, Jaggesh and Shivanna”.

“The Cauvery issue has been around for years. There are senior actors in the film industry. Let them decide. We will be with them”, said Dhruva Sarja.