Pro-Kannada organisations call off April 10 bandh

Pro-Kannada organisations call off their bandh after the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi that his govt would put the scheme on hold.

Pro-Kannada organisations on Saturday called off their April 10 bandh against the Hogenakkal water project following a statement by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi that his government would put the scheme on hold till the formation of a new government in Karnataka.

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However, the activists would continue to enforce the stoppage of screening of Tamil films in cinemas in the state, a member of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) told PTI.

Pro-Kannada organisations, under the umbrella of Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samithi, had called for a bandh earlier to protest Karunanidhi's statement that his government would go ahead with the water project.

The KRV, spearheading the agitation on the Hogenakkal water project, said the bandh call has now been withdrawn following Karunanaidhi's statement to hold the project.

The project had triggered protests by various pro-Kannada organisations for the past five days. The organisations had burned effigies of Karunanidhi, attacked the office of a local cable operator besides storming a Tamil Daily's office.

The KRV had also tried to enforce a ban to black out Tamil channels, which, however, did not materialise with cable operators not willing to give in.

The Karnataka Film Industry had also lent its support to the agitation by staging a day-long dharna on Friday.