Bandh successful in Cauvery basin

 The Cauvery agitation against release of water to Tamil Nadu reached its peak with one person dying of cardiac arrest during the protest and three others attempting suicide.

 RBI employee Goranna (45) died of cardiac arrest during a bike rally.  Goranna, a native of Bellary working at the Note Printing Press, had joined other employees in the rally to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.  He suffered a massive cardiac arrest near JK Tyres on KRS Road and was immediately rushed to a super speciality hospital were he was declared dead.

 Vishwanath, a farmer, attempted to set himself ablaze by pouring petrol in front of a dais erected on the Bangalore- Mysore Road survived minor injuries.

 Meanwhile, Nagaraje Gowda, the owner of a tea stall in Hunsur town of Mysore district, tried cutting his hand with a blade. He was immediately rushed to hospital and is now out of danger.

 Seshappa, a farmer ,from Uggyam village in Kollegal taluk tried to jump off a mobile tower. However, policemen and villagers managed to convince him and after an hour, he got down from the tower.

 Life Affected

The Kannada activists also attacked the Wipro premises in Mysore accusing that the staff was working despite the Karnataka bandh. They ransacked furniture and destroyed flower pots while forcing the closure of an Union government offices on Hunsur road.

 Train services between Mysore and Bangalore were also disrupted owing to the bandh.

 The Cauvery basin observed total bandh with hundreds of organisations taking out protest rallies, people voluntarily shutting shops, cinemas, hotels and education institutions to support the bandh call given by various Kannada organisations.

 National, state Highways and prominent streets, including those in the outskirts in Mysore, Mandya and Chamrajanagar wore a deserted look with vehicles and autorickshaws staying off the roads.

 The protestors burnt an effigy of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and burnt tyres on the roads.

 The passengers who were forced to languish in Mandya and Maddur railway stations had to return as farmers who had tied cattle on railway tracks refused to withdraw the stir and threatened to block trains to Bangalore at night.

 The bandh was successful in Chamrajanagar, as many Kannada organisations, Raitha Sangha and Vatal Party members took out a protest rally forcing the closure of district offices and also stopped the Chamrajanagar to Shimoga train .

 The tourists were also affected with closure of Mysore Palace, Mysore Zoo, hotels and restaurants in wake of the bandh.