‘There is SC verdict but not going to oppose,’ Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Bengaluru Bandh

Siddaramaiah on Monday welcomed JDS supremo and former PM Devegowda’s open letter to PM Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention into the Cauvery dispute

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said that the opposition should refrain from gaining political mileage through the Cauvery water dispute. He also reiterated that the government is not against any protests though there is a Supreme Court verdict against them.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah(PTI)

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said, “We have no objections to any kind of protests or bandh. But there are few people and parties who are making the Cauvery issue political. We all must work for the people of Karnataka and not for self-political gains. There is a Supreme Court verdict against bandh, but we do not want to curtail it.”

Meanwhile, Bengaluru police said there is no permission for any bandh, protest, or demonstration and announced Section 144 in the city prohibiting the assembly of more than five people. The 12-hour (6am to 6pm) Bengaluru bandh on September 26 has been called by the farmers' organisation and the opposition parties have extended support. The next bandh in Karnataka is on September 29 and it will be a statewide bandh on the same issue.

Siddaramaiah on Monday welcomed JDS supremo and former PM Devegowda’s open letter to PM Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention into the Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Janata Dal (S) supremo released a copy of the September 23 letter that he wrote to the Prime Minister on issues of "resolving the ongoing disputes and differences between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the matter of releasing Cauvery waters from Karnataka reservoirs to Tamil Nadu", at a press conference on Monday. He also suggested the Prime Minister to appoint an external agency and conduct study for permanent solution for the Cauvery issue.

“I suggest to appoint an external agency, independent of the party states and the union government, which has expertise in the field of Integrated Reservoir Operation Studies, for conducting the studies of all the identified/designated reservoirs in Cauvery Basin, immediately," he said in the letter.