On the eve of the Bengaluru bandh called by farmers groups and trade unions to protest against Karnataka releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that permission has not been granted for the bandh and that organisations are banned from taking out processions and rallies. Addressing the media on Monday, September 25, the Commissioner said that strict action will be taken against the concerned persons if any untoward incidents take place. The city police have also imposed section 144 (prohibition of unlawful assembly) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Bengaluru from 12 am on Tuesday.
“The police have made the necessary security arrangements for Tuesday. Patrol forces and additional forces will be deployed on duty. We have also taken the necessary steps to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and additional Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been deployed,” said Dayananda.
He also said the organisers of the bandh will have to face the consequences of any destruction to property. The forcible closure of property will also face police action, he said. Any stopping of vehicles on the road and forcible closure of shops are prohibited, he said.
The Commissioner said that the proposed rally from Mysore Bank Circle to Freedom Park had not received any permission from the police as it went against the High Court orders, which had stated that all protests had to be held at Freedom Park.
Around 20,000 law enforcement personnel will be in the city on Tuesday. This includes 60 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police and 40 platoons of City Armed Reserve Police.
The border areas will also see extra security. The Commissioner said that protection will be given to any vehicles including Tamil Nadu buses, but so far, no one has come forward seeking security for vehicles.
The Karnataka police will be hoping that there won’t be a rerun of the events that unfolded exactly seven years ago in September 2016, after chaos broke across the state following the Supreme Court ordering Karnataka to release more Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu. Violence had gripped the capital of Bengaluru with several pro-Kannada groups damaging public property, vandalising vehicles with Tamil Nadu registration and even burning many vehicles. The violence had also resulted in the death of two persons, following which section 144 was imposed in the city.
The prolonged disagreement regarding the allocation of Cauvery river water between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has persisted for decades. The current call for a bandh originates from a recent directive by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT), instructing the Karnataka government to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for an additional 15 days.