Cauvery row: Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members stage protests

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members on Friday staged a protest near the District collector’s office in Udupi against the order released by Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) instructing the state government to follow its order to release water to Tamil Nadu. KRV members tried to hold a Gherao at the collector’s office however they were detained by Manipal Police. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said that the government is committed to fighting for farmers in the state and further appealed to the farmers to call off the Saturday’s ‘Bandh’ in Cauvery Water row to ensure that no law and order situation is being disturbed in the state. “I think whatever share will be given to Tamil Nadu, we are bound to it. We have been protecting the farmers. I am appealing to everyone no one should interfere, and no one should call for this ‘bandh’.You should be very cautious. The court is very strict on these ‘bandh’ issues. Tomorrow if anything happens, it will be a law and order problem,” he said. “So, I appeal to withdraw the ‘bandh’ immediately. We are there to fight. The Karnataka Government is committed to fight for the sake of the farmers of Karnataka,” he added. Various farmer’s organisations in Mandya are protesting and have called for a ‘Bandh’ on September 23 after the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the order of Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to Karnataka on releasing 5,000 cusecs of water every day for now to Tamil Nadu.