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On Monday evening, as chilling visuals of a blazing fire at a bus depot in Nayandahalli were shown on TV channels, the feeling first sank in that the protests over the Cauvery water issue were spiralling out of control.
Around 150 to 200 protesters set on fire around 45 buses at a depot owned by KPN Travels in Nayandahalli on the outskirts of the city.
KPN, one of the largest private bus operators in South India, came under attack as it is owned by a businessman from Salem in Tamil Nadu, KP Natarajan.
KPN Travels, founded in 1972, operates buses in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Speaking over the phone from his house in Salem, Natarajan said:
The buses, which included sleeper, semi-sleeper, AC and non-AC buses, were completely charred.
Natarajan says he is thankful none of his staff were critically injured.
The businessman says his staff will approach the police and file a complaint.
It was not just KPN; many establishments owned by Tamilians faced the ire of agitators in Bengaluru. One of the first attacks on an establishment in the city was on a mobile phone store on CMH road on Monday.
Later establishments like the Adyar Anand Bhavan and others owned by Tamilians were also targeted.
Chennai too witnessed similar attacks, but on a smaller scale. The New Woodlands Hotel and Karnataka Bank were vandalised by protesters on Monday.
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