Actor-politician M H Ambareesh on Wednesday apologised to people of the state, especially those of Mandya, for not joining them in their agitation on the Cauvery issue.

“I am deeply pained for not being able to join the Cauvery agitation. I was away in America to take part in a Kannada conference. It is not true that I was having fun in America...I have immense love for people of Mandya, but I can’t show it (love) the way Hanuman did to the lord Rama by opening his chest,” he told reporters at his J P Nagar residence here after his return from nearly a month-long foreign trip.

The ‘rebel’ star had gone to America to take part in 9th Association of Kannada Kootas of America (Akka) world conference at New Jersey. The conference was from September 2 to 4. However, he did not explain what he did after the Akka conference was over.

Agitating farmers of Mandya on Tuesday had announced that they would not allow screening of the Kannada movie ‘Dodmane Huduga’ starring Puneet Rajkumar in which Ambareesh has played a role. The movie is scheduled to be released on September 30.

Ambareesh, who is also the Congress MLA from Mandya Assembly constituency, had come under severe criticism for not joining the Cauvery agitation. The Congress leader had been sulking ever since he was dropped from the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Ambareesh congratulated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as per the September 20 order of the Supreme Court and, said the Centre should intervene to resolve the issue. “We always give away a major portion of the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. We are generous enough to do so. But this year we don’t have water. It (Tamil Nadu) is asking for something that is non-existent,” he stated.

While saying that he will visit Mandya after September 30, Ambareesh said he has not been drawing salary from the government ever since he
resigned as minister.