Various Kannada organisations, which took out protest march from different places and converged at the Freedom Park before submitting a memorandum to chief minister Siddaramaiah. The activists led by Vatal Nagaraj urged the chief minister to take up the construction work across the river Cauvery at Mekedatu in Kanakapura taluk within 45 days.
During the day-long bandh traffic in Bengaluru and major towns and cities in the state came to a halt. City buses in Bengaluru city operated by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and inter-city buses by Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) went off the road. Buses plying to Tamil Nadu were not pressed into service.
According to police sources, the bandh elicited good response in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Mandya and Ramanagara among others. Pro-Kannada organisations took out protest rallies in the central parts of Bengaluru and converged at Freedom Park. Commercial establishments, hotels, shopping malls and agriculture market yards remained closed thereby affecting the transactions.
The initial loss to the state exchequer is estimated at Rs 1,800 crore, according to economic research wing of Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).
Auto drivers, truck operators, Taxi For Sure, Ola Cabs had withdrawn their services and did not take any booking during the day.
During the day, protesters in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Anekal and other places in and around Bengaluru were seen forcing closure of shops, offices and post offices.
Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) activists were seen urging the people of entire state to cooperate with them for one day and make the bandh successful.
Speaking at a public rally in Majestic area in Bengaluru, Kannada activist S R Govindu urged the chief minister not to yield to the pressures of Tamil Nadu. "Dear Chief Minister, do not stop the construction of the dam. Please go ahead and start the construction of the dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu to provide drinking water to the city of Bengaluru. We are with u and protest the motive of the Tamil Nadu government, which is opposing the drinking water project for Bengaluru," he said.
He also called upon all the people of Karnataka to observe bandh for one day to create awareness among the entire country on the importance of Mekedatu project.
Nearly 500 pro-Kannada organisations have called for the Karnataka Bandh.
The state police and railway protection force have made rapid arrangements to provide security cover to the city railway station, bus station and other key areas in Bengaluru. In Bengaluru city alone, 60 platoons of KSRP, CAR and two units of Rapid Action Force have been deployed for security.
Though the state government has not declared official support to the state-wide bandh, the government services are likely to be affected as employees have no public transport to reach their offices. Schools and colleges are already closed for summer holidays.
President of Kannada Okkuta, a common platform of all pro-Kannada organisations, Vatal Nagaraj demanded the state government to immediately take up the construction of dam at Mekedatu, which will ensure supply of drinking water to Bengaluru.
While medical shops and hospitals functioned normally, other essential services like milk supply was affected partially.
?Karnataka Bandh is total and we have requested the chief minister to lay the foundation for the Mekedatu project within 45 days. If the government doesn't do it then people will witness the statewide protest. Tamil Nadu government is doing politics over the project. It is a warning bell for Panneerselvam, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu,? Vatal Nagaraj told reporters.
Organisations including Hotel owners association, lorry owners association, autorickshaw drivers union, petrol bunk owners association and Karnataka Film Chamber have expressed solidarity and support to the day-long state bandh.
