Amidst widespread protests across Karnataka against the release of Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu, actor Kiccha Sudeep has expressed his support for farmers and various pro-Kannada organisations who observed a bandh in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 26. 

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Sudeep wrote, "The Cauvery issue has resurfaced this year. Pro-Kannada organisations and farmers are engaged in an intense battle, and I stand with you in all struggles for Karnataka's land, water, and language. Because of insufficient rain not just crops are impacted but people do not have enough water to drink.”

He said that people relying on Cauvery for drinking water do not have any other source, and stressed the need for the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) to understand the gravity of the drought situation in Karnataka, calling for an emergency to be declared.

He appealed to CM Siddaramaiah and all party leaders to come together to provide relief to the current drought and water woes. “Our Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, like some of the former Chief Ministers, is addressing this crisis temporarily through amicable discussions with the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to come up with a solution. I request the CM to find a solution to the current drought and water issue. I also request the politicians from all political parties to come together in convincing the Union government to give us a solution,” he noted. 

Stressing the need to prioritise the needs of the people of Karnataka, he added, “Tamil Nadu farmers need water for Kuruvai crops but we need it for drinking purposes, so our needs have to be seen first. A solution needs to be found at the earliest and I hope the protests are successful. In addition to this, north Karnataka’s Krishna, Mahadayi, and Kalasa Banduri controversies have to also be resolved at the earliest.”