Protests over Cauvery issue continue for second day in TN

Protests over the Cauvery issue continued in some parts of Tamil Nadu for the second day today, with fringe outfits like Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) holding agitations outside Kannada establishments here and in Coimbatore.

In Chennai, unidentified men pelted stones at an ATM of Karnataka Bank, damaging the glass panes, police said.

Activists of NMK held protests outside hotels owned by natives of Karnataka in different places in Chennai and around 12 people were arrested when they tried to enter the premises at Mylapore.

At Coimbatore, at least 30 NMK activists, led by its district secretary Wahab, raised slogans against Karnataka and went to Karnataka Association hall in Tatabad, police said.
However, they were stopped near the Association building and arrested.

At Neyveli, police foiled protestors' bid to burn an effigy of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah and detained activists of the Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi.

Police protection continued for Karnataka establishments and buses from that state.
Meanwhile, Coimbatore district Omnibus Owners Association decided not to ply their vehicles to Karnataka for fear of attacks on the vehicles and crew.

It's secretary P Senthilkumar told reporters after a meeting of the association that 12 buses had been severely damaged in the last two days. Considering the prevailing situation, it was decided not to ply buses to Karnataka till normalcy returned in that state, he added.

A traders' body also announced holding a day-long bandh on September 16 against attacks on commercial establishments in Karnataka in the wake of the ongoing Cauvery crisis.

A M Vikramaraja, President,Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu (Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders' Association) claimed that Tamil traders, lorry and bus operators had incurred Rs 2,000 crore loss in the protest by Kannada groups, targeting commercial establishments,besides torching vehicles.

Commercial establishments owing allegiance to the Federation would down shutters on Friday, he said while appealing for the support of other trade bodies also.

Yesterday, one person was killed and another injured in police firing in Bengaluru after violence erupted there and other parts of Karnataka following Supreme Court's modified order on sharing Cauvery water by the two riparian states.

The Apex Court, modifying its September 5 order, had asked Karnataka to release a reduced amount of 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu till September 20.