Tamil films, TV to be barred in K'taka from Wed

All Tamil movies will be taken off theatres across Karnataka from Wednesday to protest against the Hognekal issue. The members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, who met in Bengaluru on Tuesday, also decided that no Tamil channels will be aired anywhere in Karnataka from Wednesday onwards.

Members of the Vedike, led by their leader Narayana Gowda, said that there was a need to convey a strong message to Tamil Nadu, who have been adamant about going ahead with the Rs 1,330 crore drinking water scheme in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri near the Hognekal falls on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

The Hognekal falls is fed by the Cauvery River and the sharing of water from this river is a subject matter of litigation. The contention advanced by Karnataka is that TN has no approval of the Union government to go ahead with the project and also an appeal against the verdict of the Cauvery River Waters' Tribunal is pending before the Supreme Court of India.

The Vedike members said that all theatre owners and cable operators have been instructed to stop screening Tamil movies across the state and take Tamil channels off the air from Wednesday onwards. The Vedike members, during their meeting, also decided that they would intensify their protest by blocking Rail and Road traffic across the state.

Further, it was decided to protest in Hognekal on either the April 11 or 12. A decision to call for a Karnataka bandh was also taken, but the date for the same is yet to be finalised. The members decided that the agitation against Tamil Nadu would stop only once the project is halted.

Meanwhile, there were no incidents of violence in the city. Security has been beefed up, especially in areas such as Ulsoor, which is dominated by the Tamil population. On Monday, incidents of violence were reported in several parts of Bengaluru when Vedike activists forcibly tried shutting down theatres screening Tamil films.

Meanwhile political parties too are upping the ante against Tamil Nadu. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday led a delegation to the Governor and urged him to intervene and settle the issue immediately. Congress chief of Karnataka Mallikarjuna Kharge, who was guarded in his approach, only said that a senior leader like Karunanidhi should refrain from making controversial statements.

Coverage: The Cauvery Water Dispute