Cauvery Issue: Bengaluru Police Lift Curfew, Sec 144 Still Imposed

With buses, taxis, autos and metro resuming services, people were seen commuting to work in and around the city.

Curfew was lifted from all 16 police station limits of Bengaluru on Wednesday as the city limped back to normalcy following days of acute tension over the Cauvery issue in the last few days.

With buses, taxis, autos and the metro resuming service, thousands of people were seen commuting to offices and other establishments in and around the city.

Security across the city remains tight and a ban order under Section 144 of the CrPC on assembly of more than five persons at public places and populated areas continues till further orders to ensure peace and prevent any untoward incidents.

NS Megharikh, Bengaluru Police Commissioner

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Meanwhile, the situation in Mandya and Mysuru remained under control amid peaceful protests by farmers, traders and youth against releasing of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is waiting for an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek his intervention in the inter-state dispute.

Two days of fierce violence and curfew crippled normal life in the the cosmopolitan IT hub.

Also Read: Cauvery Issue: Local Media Fanned The Flames, Encouraged Violence

Schools and offices had remained shut as tension had gripped the city. Several people worked from home. Two people were killed in the violence – one when the police opened fire at protesters, and another while trying to avoid a lathicharge.

The curfew was relaxed in some localities on Tuesday morning, to allow Muslims to offer Eid prayers at mosques.

CM Siddaramaiah declared hiss intention to impose “law and order with an iron hand.” PM Modi implored the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to stop the violence as it was only affecting the nation’s poor.

On 9 September, Siddaramaiah, wrote to Modi on 9 September, urging him to convene a meeting of chief ministers of both the states. He also called on Modi to step in to resolve the vexed issue.

Karnataka had been on the boil after the Supreme Court had directed the state to release 15,000 cusecs of river water to Tamil Nadu for 10 days on 5 September. On 12 September, it extended the period to 20 September while reducing the quantum to 12,000 cusecs per day.

(With inputs from IANS)