Bengaluru Bandh on September 26: DK Shivakumar Warns Protesters Against Harming City's Image

Bengaluru: As tensions escalate over the sharing of Cauvery water with Tamil Nadu, pro-farmer groups and pro-Kannada organisations have called for a bandh in Bengaluru on Tuesday, 26 September. In response, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has questioned the effectiveness of the bandh and emphasized the importance of preserving the reputation of "Brand Bengaluru."

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar reiterated the government's commitment to protecting the interests of farmers and citizens of Bengaluru. He expressed concern that damaging the city's image would ultimately harm the protesters themselves. Despite this, the Bruhat Bengaluru Hoteliers Association has extended its moral support to the bandh.

He also accused opposition parties of politicizing the Cauvery issue, stating that the government is committed to protecting farmers' interests. He urged against calling for a Bengaluru bandh, emphasized the government's submission to the CWMA, and expressed support for peaceful protests that do not inconvenience people.

Adding to the momentum, the Sandalwood Producers' Association has joined the protesters in solidarity with the strike call. Furthermore, the Private Transport Operators' Federation of Bengaluru has announced a suspension of all services on Tuesday. The KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation have also declared that drivers and conductors affiliated with them will refrain from operating buses between 6 am and 6 pm.

The Cauvery water-sharing issue has prompted pro-Kannada activists from a faction of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) to intensify their protests. On Saturday, over 100 activists attempted to close the border between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at the Attibele check post near Bengaluru. However, the immediate response from the police led to the preventive custody of the protesters and the dispersal of the crowd. The demonstrations caused temporary disruptions to traffic heading towards Karnataka.