BENGALURU: Thousands of Kannada activists from Bengaluru led by Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj attempted to lay siege to the KRS reservoir in Mandya district on Thursday to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.
Security was tightened for the protest and police did not allow the activists to enter the reservoir area. The activists criticised the Tamil Nadu government for its demand to release Cauvery water when Karnataka is facing a drought-like situation and the CWMA for its directive to release water to the lower riparian state. They also criticised the Karnataka government for yielding to the “pressure tactics” of Tamil Nadu.
“When there is no adequate water in our reservoirs, how can Cauvery water be released to Tamil Nadu? To protest against the release of water to TN, we are taking out a vehicle rally from Bengaluru to the KRS reservoir via Bidadi, Ramanagara Channapatna, Maddur and Mandya,” Nagaraj told reporters before leaving Bengaluru.