Bengaluru Bandh in Photos: Schools Remain Shut, Farmers Lead Bike Rally, & More

Another statewide bandh will be held on Friday, 29 September.

The Bengaluru Police imposed Section 144 in the city from midnight, denying permission for any protests or processions. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner said, "No one can forcefully implement the bandh. If someone wants to observe it voluntarily, they can."

(Photo: PTI)

Bengaluru on Tuesday, 26 September, is witnessing the first bandh in the state over the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The 12-hour bandh from 6 am to 6 pm was called by the Karnataka Jala Samrakshana Samiti, which includes farmers and pro-Kannada organisations. Opposition parties BJP and JD(S) have extended their support for Tuesday's bandh.

The Bengaluru Police, however, imposed Section 144 in the city from midnight and has denied permission for any protests or processions. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner said, "No one can forcefully implement the bandh. If someone wants to observe it voluntarily, they can."

About 100 platoons have been deployed across the city. A holiday has been declared for all the schools and colleges in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Farmers' organisations take out a bike rally in Malavalli town of Karnataka's Mandya as part of the Bengaluru bandh called over the Cauvery water dispute.

Metro services in Bengaluru will function as usual, and city bus services will not be completely halted. Cab services like Ola and Uber are also not restricted. Most shops and establishments, however, have been shut down.

A shop that has been locked up owing to the bandh in Bengaluru.

Amid a bandh, several individuals, farmers and pro-Kannada groups gathered at Bengaluru's Freedom Park, where they held demonstrations and raised slogans. Some protesters were detained by the police.

Later this week, a statewide bandh called by Kannada Okkuta will be held on Friday, 29 September. Kannada Okkuta, however, is not supporting Tuesday's Bengaluru bandh.

Farmers and pro-Kannada groups stage a protest in Mandya.

The bandh was called over the long-standing issue of Cauvery water-sharing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Recently, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) directed Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days. But the Congress-led Karnataka government said the state doesn't have enough water to release.