Bengaluru bandh on September 26; public transport may take hit

BENGALURU: Over 100 organisations, which met at Freedom Park here on Saturday, have called for a voluntary Benglauru bandh on September 26. A rally from Town Hall to the Mysore Bank Circle is also planned. The organisers have also appealed to autorickshaw and taxi unions to keep off the roads on that day.

The pro-Kannada groups have demanded that the state government should convene a special session of the legislature to discuss the Cauvery river water sharing issue and also come up with a distress formula. They also appealed to IT companies, workers, industrialists, schools and colleges, film chamber and the public to support the bandh call.

The federation of Kannada Sanghas of industries and commercial establishments, an umbrella organisation of 80 associations of various firms like HAL, BEL, ITI, BHEL, MICO and industries in Peenya has extended support to the bandh call.

The BBMP employees welfare association has also extended its support and is likely to keep off work on that day. The Chickpet traders’ association has also supported the bandh call. The organisers have also sought the support of auto and taxi drivers, hoteliers’ associations, resident welfare associations, advocates association and others.

Earlier, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) leader Kurubur Shantakumar said, “This protest is necessary for the sake of the people of the state. We had met three days ago and today’s is a preliminary meeting”.

Jaya Karnataka state president Jagadish said, “The government should not play with the sentiments of people. When we have no water ourselves, how can we give it to others? We will lay siege to the houses of elected representatives in all the 31 districts. The government should immediately issue an order and stop further release of water to Tamil Nadu”, he said.