Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru; 40 buses set on fire by Cauvery water protesters

Bengaluru: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 imposed in Bengaluru today after protestors set on fire 40 buses in the IT city as Supreme Court modified its earlier order on Cauvery water issue and asked Karnataka to release 12,000 cases of water to Tamil Nadu per day till 20th September. Around 200 people were detained after vehicles belonging to Tamil Nadu were targeted in the city, police said, adding that the Rapid Action Force has been deployed in the worst affected Kengeri area.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwar said, 27 Tamil Nadu registered vehicles were torched by miscreants in Bengaluru. The State government has deployed 10 companies of Central Reserve Police Force and 182 companies of Karnataka State Reserve police apart from Rapid Action Force personnel to ensure law and order. The Centre has rushed ten companies comprising one thousand personnel of the special anti-riot paramilitary force to the state to tackle the violent situation.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has appealed for peace. Mr Parameshwar also informed that the Chief Minister has written a letter to his Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa to ensure safety of Kannadigas in Tamil Nadu. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and took stock of the situation in the two states arising out following the protest over Cauvery water sharing issue. Police lathicharged and lobbed tear gas shells to quell rampaging mobs as the week-long peaceful agitation on Cauvery water sharing took a violent turn in Karnataka resulting in large-scale arson and vandalism in different parts of Karnataka.

Reports said at least 40 luxury buses parked after suspension of inter-state services, were reduced to ashes after the miscreants set them on fire in the state capital. Police ordered the repeated lathi charge to disperse the violent crowd and lobbed several rounds of tear gas shells. Shops and business establishments remained closed in the state capital. Only medical stores and hospitals were open. Prohibitory orders were also imposed in parts of Mysuru even as angry mob was seen attacking hotels and other business establishments.

Supreme Court today rejected Karnataka's plea that the earlier order be kept in abeyance and expressed anguish over what it called the tone and tenor of the plea. The apex court said, the law and order problem cannot be a ground for not complying with the court's order. Earlier, Karnataka had told the court that the agony claimed by Tamil Nadu on the crisis is not there. Even as violent protest continued in Karnataka, Cauvery Supervisory Committee met in New Delhi today to take stock of the situation. Officials from riparian states presented their submissions before the committee.

The meeting chaired by Union Water Resources Secretary Shashi Shekhar took a detailed presentation from the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and the representative from Kerala. The committee tried to reach to a conclusion but Tamil Nadu and Karnataka did not agree to a particular figure of release of water which was based on scientific facts. The next meeting of the supervisory committee will be held on September 19. All three states and union territory of Puducherry have been requested to submit the relevant information and data by September 15. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and senior officials from Kerala, Central Water Commission and Union Water Resources Ministry. (UNI)