Poor response for Karnataka bandh: demonstrations by pro-Kannada organizations
Udupi: The Karnataka bandh call, given by various pro-Kannada organisations on Friday, September 9, evoked a poor response in the district.
Shops, business establishments, hotels, and markets were open. Service and city bus services and other modes of public transport such as autorickshaws and taxis operated normally. The district administration had declared a holiday for schools and colleges.
Members of Kannada organisations like the Kananda Sahitya Parishat, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty Team), Jaya Karnataka and Karnataka Karmika Vedike held a protest march from Jodukatte to Service bus-stand and shouted slogans against the Tamil Nadu government, Union and State governments.
Addressing the protesters Ravi Shetty said that when there was a severe shortage of water in the Cauvery basin, the order of the apex court on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu could not be agreed upon.
The state government has failed to provide proper information to the Supreme Court. It is because of the failure of the State government that Karnataka has received such an unscientific direction. The advocate in Supreme Court Fali S Nariman has failed to convince the panel at the CRA meeting. The council had failed to explain the extent of rain failure in the Cauvery catchment area. It is high time the government appoints a better advocate to plead the case on its behalf, they said.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty Team) took out a jatha from Jodukatte to Udupi bus-stand with Tamilnadu Chief minister Jayalalithaa’s effigy. All the members gathered at the Clocktower and burnt the effigy of Jayalalithaa.
Janani Divakar Shetty, Ravi Shetty, Panjimar Santhosh Shetty, Ansar Ahmed and others were present.