Karnataka is witnessing violent protests on Monday, Sept. 12, with Bangalore bearing the brunt, even as the Supreme Court modified its order on the Cauvery water-sharing issue. Bus services have been suspended in Bangalore. Metro services were suspended, restored for a few minutes and suspended again.
There were rumours initially that Section 144 had been imposed in Bangalore, but the police dispelled them. They finally imposed it in the city from 5 p.m.
The state was shut down by a bandh on Friday, Sept. 9, over the Supreme Court's order to release water from the Cauvery river — also called the Kaveri river — to Tamil Nadu. The apex court had, in a fresh order, on Monday reduced the quantum of water to be given to the neighbouring state.
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu utilise the water of the Cauvery river flowing through the states for irrigation and drinking purposes. Both the states have been allotted particular portions of water to be used from the river. The current tussle is over disagreement on who will get how much water.
See photos of protesters burning vehicles in Bengaluru.
Read:
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Cauvery water row: All you need to know about Karnataka-Tamil Nadu tussle
Here are the live updates of how things unfolded on Monday:
9:45 p.m. IST: Irate protesters have pelted stones at the residents of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This could escalate tension on the road.
9:40 p.m. IST: Meanwhile, the police are still asking people to not blindly believe in rumours.
9:35 p.m. IST: One person has died in firing by the police in northern Bangalore, DGP Om Prakash has confirmed.
9:15 p.m. IST: Home Minister Rajnath Singh has assured Karnataka of all possible help from the Central government.
9:05p.m. IST: The traffic to and from the airport is flowing normally.
8:30 p.m. IST: Section 144 has been extended in Bangalore to three days -- from Sept. 12 to Sept. 14, the Bengaluru City Police have said. They have also warned of strict action against anyone breaking the law.
8:10 p.m. IST: The police have opened fire at an unruly crowd in the Peenya region of northern Bangalore. There are unconfirmed reports of injuries.
7:30 p.m. IST: All 20 buses at the depot, belonging to a private transport company named KPN, have been gutted.
7 p.m. IST: At least 20 buses set on fire at a depot in Bangalore. The owner of the private transport company, to which the buses belonged, is said to be Tamil.
6 p.m. IST: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has called for an emergency meeting of the state Cabinet on Tuesday.
5:40 p.m. IST: Violence continues unabated along Mysore Road — a key roadway that connects Bangalore to Tamil Nadu, and thus sees more vehicles with registration numbers from that state. Local news outlets are now saying vandals have set fire to 25 trucks at a single godown on Mysore Road in Bangalore. Other such instances abound.
5:20 p.m. IST: The Bengaluru City Police has finally confirmed that Section 144 has been implemented in the city. This means four or more people cannot congregate on the road until it is lifted.
5:05 p.m. IST: The protests and vandalism continue in Tamil Nadu as well, with anything symbolising or standing for Karnataka being targeted.
5 p.m. IST: Bangalore Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Goyal has asked people not to believe in rumours and get authentic updates only from the Bengaluru City Police.
Meanwhile, local news outlets say the Karnataka Cabinet is currently in a huddle over what to do next, with a high-level meeting underway.
4:45 p.m. IST: Vehicles registered in Tamil Nadu are becoming the primary targets of irate protesters across Bangalore. Here is one such instance:
4:25 p.m. IST: A CNN-News18 journalist is saying both the Karnataka home minister and Bangalore director general of police have confirmed to him that Section 144 has been imposed in Bangalore.
The Twitter handle of Bengaluru City Police has been constantly saying there was no imposition of Section 144 in the city.
4:20 p.m. IST: Karnataka State Reserve Police, City Armed Reserve Police, Rapid Action Force and
Quick Reaction Teams have been deployed on the streets of Bangalore to check violence.
Meanwhile, violence on the streets of the city continue, with more vehicles being targeted.
4:10 p.m. IST: The city police are now warning people against rumours that are spreading not only by word of mouth but also via social media platforms such as WhatsApp.
4:05 p.m. IST: ANI reports that the following places in Bangalore are seeing increased police deployment: Indira Nagar, KR Nagar, Prakash Nagar, Frazer Town, RT Nagar, Tannery Road, Hegde Nagar, Srirampura and Kalasi Palyam.
4 p.m. IST: Kannada-language news channels are reporting, with visuals, that many eateries in and around Karnataka that are owned by Tamil people are being vandalised.
3:55 p.m. IST: The police say metro services have been suspended again. Bus services between Bangalore and Tamil Nadu have also been suspended.
3:50 p.m. IST: The Bengaluru City Police have arranged for heavy deployment on the streets. They said on their Twitter handle that 15,000 policemen and 3,000 home guards have been deployed on the streets of Bangalore. Of the vehicles, they said 270 Cheethas — police bikes — and an equal number of Hoysala police jeeps are also on the road.
3:45 p.m. IST: Metro services in Bangalore have resumed, after being stalled for 20 minutes. There is, however, no news of when bus services are resuming.
3:30 p.m. IST: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged for peace in both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. he said on Twitter: "Reports of attack on Kannadigas in TN is extremely distressing. I urge Kannadigas & Tamilians across the border to maintain peace. [sic]"
3:15 p.m. IST: The police as well as political leaders have appealed to people of both states to stay calm and not heed rumours.
3 p.m. IST: The police say things are returning to normal on Mysore Road after there were three cases of vehicle-burning. However, there are reports coming in from other places that vehicles are still being burnt, but at other places in the city.
2:45 p.m. IST: The Bangalore police have, in a tweet, clarified that they have not imposed Section 144 in the city, contrary to what the police are saying.
2:30 p.m. IST: Bus and metro services have been suspended in Bangalore — now Bengaluru — while some regional news channels are saying that the authorities have also imposed Section 144 in the city. If that is indeed the case, no more than four people are now allowed to assemble on the roads in the city.
1:30 p.m. IST: Several vehicles have been burned across the state of Karnataka, and specifically in Bangalore, by pro-Kannada activists. Following one such attack, bus services were suspended from the satellite bus stand in Bangalore that sent vehicles to Mysore (Mysuru).
1 p.m. IST: Four people have been detained by the police in connection with the attack on the Kannadiga-owned eatery in Chennai.
12:10 p.m. IST: The Supreme Court has modified its order on Cauvery water sharing, asking Karnataka to "release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu per day till Sept. 20."
11:30 a.m. IST: Karnataka has asked the Supreme Court to suspend its order from earlier in the month to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. It has told the apex court that "agony claimed by Tamil Nadu on water crisis not there."
11:10 a.m. IST: Activists from the Naam Tamilar Katchi party vandalise a bus in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu as the row over Cauvery water escalates. The driver was also beaten up.
10:30 a.m. IST: Unidentified individuals hurled petrol bombs at the New Woodlands Hotel in Mylapore, Chennai, early on Monday. The hotel is owned by a Kannadiga, and the attack is believed to be in retaliation to a Tamil student in Karnataka being thrashed over a Facebook post he had written against Kannada actors.
