Cauvery row flares up: Shivakumar urges Vijay to defer Bengaluru visit; Karnataka bandh on Aug 13

The Cauvery water-sharing dispute has flared up again in Karnataka, with protests breaking out across the state against the Cauvery Water Management Authority's (CWMA) order directing the release of water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Against this tense backdrop, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has requested that the visit of his Tamil Nadu counterpart Joseph Vijay, originally scheduled for Monday (August 3), be postponed.

Also read: Karnataka defers CWMA's Cauvery water release order; calls all-party meeting

Meanwhile, pro-Kannada organisations have called for a state-wide strike on August 13 to protect Cauvery water and also spoke against the meeting between the two leaders, saying it had no justification when Karnataka itself is facing a serious water crisis.

Request to postpone TN CM's visit

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Friday (July 31), Shivakumar said it would not be appropriate to invite Vijay to Karnataka in the prevailing circumstances. According to him, Vijay had agreed to visit for cordial talks, but if he were to arrive now, protesters might surround him and raise slogans, which could spark controversy. Protest leaders also threatened to hold demonstrations at the Bengaluru airport on August 3 to express their disapproval of the Tamil Nadu chief minister's visit.

BJP lays siege to the KRS reservoir

With the state's agricultural activities suffering due to a shortfall in rainfall, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and farmers' organisations staged a massive protest by laying siege to the Krishna Raja Sagara Reservoir in south Karnataka, condemning the release of water to Tamil Nadu amid this crisis.

Also read: Cauvery row boils over: TN rushes to SC; Karnataka to hold all-party meet

Thousands of party workers took part in the protest, led by former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, his son and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, and state Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, among others. Police detained protesters who attempted to storm the reservoir. As a precautionary measure, Karnataka State Reserve Police and District Armed Reserve personnel units were deployed while barricades were set up at entry points to the reservoir.

Karnataka bandh on August 13

Meanwhile, as pro-Kannada organisations met held in Bengaluru and discussed the future course of the Cauvery agitation, it was decided that taken a state-wide strike will be held on August 13. Activist Vatal Nagaraj made the announcement. The meeting was attended by several leaders, including the Narayana Gowda faction and Praveen Shetty faction of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, Shivarame Gowda, and Sara Govindu.

Also read: 'Don't fall into the trap': TN parties unite against Vijay's Karnataka visit

The activists alleged that water is going to Tamil Nadu because of the state government's incompetence and warned that if Vijay arrives on August 3, they would lay siege to the airport. The strike is expected to disrupt transport, commercial establishments, schools and colleges, and government offices.

All-party meeting on Sunday

In light of the CWMA's order to release 4.5 TMC of water at 3,500 cusecs daily, Shivakumar has held consultations with key government officials, including Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, and state Water Resources Minister Ramalinga Reddy. An all-party meeting has also been convened on Sunday (August 2) to discuss the next legal and administrative steps. The chief minister clarified that the government will take its next official decision only after detailed discussions at the all-party meeting.

Jana Nayagan movie shows cancelled

Meanwhile, many theatres in Karnataka cancelled the screening of Vijay's Jana Nayagan movie as a precaution due to the Cauvery water issue. The movie was released on July 23 in more than 150 theatres across the state.

At some theatres, posters of Vijay's movie were removed. In Bengaluru, as per police advisory, Urvashi theatre removed posters and cut-outs and cancelled the shows, replacing Jana Nayagan with Kannada movie Karavali.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka.)