The Bengaluru bandh called for by various organisations saw partial success on Tuesday morning, September 26. While most vehicles stayed off the road and people chose to work from home, restaurants and hotels stayed open. The Bengaluru urban Deputy Commissioner on Monday, declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure. No violence was reported from any areas and though police had stepped up security at the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border at Hosur and also provided security to TN buses, no instances of violence were reported.
While the hotel and taxi drivers associations had announced their support for the strike, they withdrew their support later. Cabs were also running around 10 am in the city. People from the film and television associations also extended their support from the bandh and gathered at Town Hall. The withdrawal of the support seems to have risen from the call for another bandh for the entire state on September 29. BMTC buses and metro services remained unaffected.
The police, earlier in the day, detained farmer leaders including Kurubur Shanthakumar from Town Hall, where leaders were beginning to congregate to proceed on a rally towards Freedom Park. A farmer is said to have attempted suicide, while another farmer who fell ill at the park was admitted to the hospital by the police.The police also rounded up people agitating at Mysore Bank Circle. On Monday, Police Commissioner B Dayananda stated that the protesters were allowed to gather only at Freedom Park in accordance with the instructions of the High Court.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning in Mysuru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “Protests are allowed in a democracy, but the court has declared guidelines and exercise of our fundamental rights also means that we have to consider others rights also. I welcome Deve Gowda’s letter to the PM. But saying that we failed is politics. The government will always look after the best interests of the state’s farmers and people.” he said. Despite the court orders, the government had no intention of stopping the people from protesting on Tuesday or Friday, he said. Officials from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are also set to have another round of virtual meetings with the Cauvery Water Management Authority.
In view of the bandh, the Bengaluru police has imposed Section 144 (prohibition of unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code in the the city, on Tuesday.
The Cauvery water issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been a recurring issue for the past many years. The Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday was called by trade unions and pro-Kannada organisations after the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) directed the Karnataka Government to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu.