BENGALURU: Vatal Nagaraj, a veteran Kannada activist and the man behind many bandhs in Karnataka, is known for his unique protests. During Friday’s Karnataka Bandh, the former MLA came out of his Dollars Colony residence wearing a burqa.
“People may see it as a burqa or as the black robe of the ‘Nyayadevathe’ (woman of justice),” said the president of ‘Kannada Okkoota’, which had called for the bandh.
He also carried an empty pot as a mark of protest, expressing dismay that Karnataka is releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, even though state reservoirs are drying up.
Addressing a press conference later, he demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in the matter.
He said the state government should call a special session and pass a resolution that it won’t release water to the neighbouring state. Stating that the agitations would continue, he said a protest will be held at Kempegowda Bus Station on Saturday.
“We will take out a massive vehicle rally from Bengaluru to KRS Dam in Manda on October 5, in which 20,000 two-wheelers and 2,000 four-wheelers will take part,” he added.