Bengaluru, Aug 3:
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday asserted that his government was committed to protecting the interests of the state’s farmers and people on the Cauvery issue, while appealing to organisations to withdraw the proposed state-wide bandh.
He also said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has agreed to postpone his visit to Bengaluru following a request from the Karnataka government in view of the prevailing Cauvery water dispute, describing the gesture as one that would help maintain a cordial atmosphere between the two states.The two leaders were supposed to meet today to discuss the Cauvery issue but Shivakumar had appealed to Vijay to defer his visit so as to hold talks in a more conducive atmosphere, as protests were happening across the state over the inter-state dispute earlier this week.
Pro-Kannada organisations have given a call for Karnataka Bandh on August 13 against the Cauvery Water Management Authority’s order on Thursday upholding the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee’s order on releasing 3,500 cusecs of water for 15 days to Tamil Nadu.
After chairing an all-party meet, Shivakumar said there was no need for protests as rainfall had improved the situation and all political parties had extended support and such a bandh would not benefit anyone.