JOIN USCauvery water dispute: Violence erupts across Mysuru
Tension prevailed in parts of the city, over the Cauvery River water issue. The agitators torched vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu registration number, ransacked shops run by traders from Tamil Nadu and tore Tamil movie posters.
The protestors torched a tourists’ car, a truck transporting vegetables and pelted stones at vehicles of Tamil Nadu.
In the first incident reported at 11.30 am at Kamsale Mahadevaiah Circle near Elethota in Agrahara on Ramanuja Road, the agitators torched Qualis, a multi-utility tourist vehicle (TN 67 S 7676). The agitators asked the occupants to get down of the vehicle, toppled it and set it afire. According to the police, the vehicle was heading to Kollegal. The group, which stoped the vehicle, attacked it with wooden logs. According to eyewitnesses, the group also attacked the passengers of the vehicle. The vehicle was gutted, but the Fire and Emergency Services personnel doused the fire.
In the second incident, a group of people torched a truck at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) yard in Bandipalya. The truck had come from Tamil Nadu to transport vegetables. A major portion of the truck was gutted. A large number of people, working in the APMC, attacked six trucks of Tamil Nadu. They also assaulted the truck drivers and cleaners. The police have arrested four people in connection with the violence.
At Yarganahalli Circle, the agitators set fire to tyres to mark their protest. Similarly, the city witnessed a series of protests by the activists of various pro-Kannada organisations.
Shops belonging to the people from Tamil Nadu were ransacked. Tamil film posters in parts of the city were disfigured.
A large number of protestors staged protest in front of Senthil Kumar Textiles on Sayyaji Rao Road in Kille Mohalla. The activists, belonging to the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayanagowda faction) attacked Cholamandalam Investment And Finance Company office located near Jaganmohan Palace in the city and ransacked it. Nearly 30 people, led by district unit president Praveen Kumar, smeared grease on the nameplate. As violence spread, business establishments on major streets in the city downed the shutters.
Sec 144 clamped
Following violence, the district administration has clamped Prohibitory Orders under CrPC Section 144 in APMC, Nanjangud Road, Bandipalya and other parts of the city, said Mysuru Assistant Commissioner C L Anand.
No bus service to TN
Mysuru division of the KSRTC suspended services to Tamil Nadu from afternoon. There are 62 bus routes from Mysuru to parts of Tamil Nadu and all the service has been suspended. An officer said, the service will be resumed only after the situation becomes normal.
Rajini’s poster disfigured
Pro-Kannada activists disfigured a poster of Rajnikanth at Ramaswamy Circle on JLB Road. Laxmipuram police who arrived on the spot dispersed the agitators.
Stringent action warned
Following violence, City Police Commissioner B Dayananda has urged the people not to take law into their hands under any circumstances. The commissioner has appealed to the people to alert the police on 100, 0821-2418139, 2418338, 2818339, 2418340, or 8861786385, if they come across any untoward incident. He warned of stringent action against the people creating disturbances and provoking others to indulge in violence. Dayananda has also requested people not to upload provocative messages on social sites.