Cauvery row: Vatal Nagaraj detained ahead of rally; Bengaluru largely unaffected by bandh

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Aug. 13, 2026: Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj was detained by police on Thursday morning before he could lead a rally from Town Hall to Majestic as part of his bandh call.

A team of police officers arrived at Nagaraj’s residence and took him into custody. When police attempted to speak to him, he reportedly refused to respond and instead tied tape over his mouth, signalling that he was observing a silent protest. Through gestures, he conveyed to the police that he would not speak as part of the protest.

As police attempted to take him into a vehicle, Nagaraj repeatedly raised slogans against the policemen.

Nagaraj, along with a few supporters, had planned protests at Malleswaram and Town Hall. Heavy police deployment was made at the proposed protest locations to prevent any untoward incidents.

However, the bandh call had little visible impact on normal life in Bengaluru, with public transport and commercial activity largely continuing as usual. Buses, autorickshaws and cabs were operating normally, while school buses also remained on the roads.

Trucks continued to operate on the NICE Road. Only a few buses bound for Tamil Nadu were reportedly stopped at Shantinagar.

Meanwhile, anticipating possible disruptions to public transport, several passengers reached Kempegowda International Airport hours ahead of their scheduled travel, fearing that buses and cabs might be unavailable or delayed due to the bandh.