BJP Protests In K'taka Against Cauvery Water Release To TN, Farmers Observe Bandh In Mandya — Top Points

As protests intensify in Karnataka over the Cauvery water issue, security arrangements have been tightened in Mandya district after farmers and pro-Kannada outfits called a 'bandh'.

Security arrangements have been tightened in Karnataka’s Mandya district after farmers and pro-Kannada outfits called a 'bandh' over the release of Cauvery water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

Source : X/ANI

The Bharatiya Janata Party held a protest in Bengaluru, demanding not to release water from the Cauvery River to Tamil Nadu. Speaking on the issue, BJP leader CT Ravi took a swipe at the Congress and said that it is giving water to Tamil Nadu to save the INDI alliance. "We have come here to support farmers protesting against it. Congress is releasing water to strengthen the INDI alliance. They are giving water to Tamil Nadu to save their alliance," CT Ravi said, as quoted by the news agency ANI. A pro-farmer organisation in Karnataka’s Maddur held a bike rally protest over the issue.

VIDEO | Pro-farmer organisation in Karnataka’s Maddur holds bike rally protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/mTzIMslZj4

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 23, 2023

Security arrangements have been tightened in Karnataka’s Mandya district after farmers and pro-Kannada outfits called a 'bandh' over the release of Cauvery water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu. This comes as protests intensified in the state over the issue on Friday. The protests erupted after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directing the state to release 5,000 cusecs of water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Here Are Top Points:

• The bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra as per PTI said, "Expert bodies like the CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) have considered all relevant aspects like drought and deficit rainfall and passed the order and, therefore, it is not inclined to interfere with the order directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water."
• Farmer organisations and pro-Kannada outfits staged protests in the Cauvery river basin districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, Bengaluru and other parts of the state urging the state government not to release water to the neighbouring state.
• Protests have also spread to districts like Chitradurga, Ballari, Davangere, Koppal and Vijayapura. Farmers under the aegis of the Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti continued to protest near the statue of Sir M Visvesvaraya in Mandya. They were joined by Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, the head of Adichunchanagiri Math, a prominent religious seminary in the old Mysuru region, which is also the Cauvery belt.
• Speaking on the protests in various places over the issue, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said that people have the right to protest and there is nothing wrong with it. He said that the government has no issue with it but the public property should not be damaged. "..They should not indulge in any illegal activity and cause inconvenience to people. I appeal to them in this regard," the Home Minister said, as quoted by PTI.
• Parameshwara also said that the police is ready to handle the situation in case of any untoward incident. He further stated that personnel have been deployed near KRS dam in Mandya district and other places where the protests are happening.
• Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda held meetings and instructed all the deputy commissioners of police to be on high alert and increase security in their respective jurisdictions, especially in the areas dominated by Tamil to avoid any untoward incident.  
• The police commissioner told PTI that all necessary security measures have been taken. Officers have been instructed to ensure that no stone pelting occurs on any Tamil Nadu registered buses or private vehicles, he said.

• Karnataka has been maintaining that it is not in a position to release water, taking into account its own requirement for drinking water and irrigation for standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas, as there has been water scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains. "We have protected the interest of the farmers and people of the state and will continue to do so. Let those who want to do politics on the issue continue to do so," Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said, as quoted by PTI.

• When asked as to whether Karnataka was open to talks with Tamil Nadu on the issue, he said, "not now..let's see after the 15 days period completes. We have requested the centre to intervene and hold talks between both states." CWMA on Monday asked Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, after the CWRC made such a recommendation last week.