Vatal Nagaraj calls for Karnataka bandh over cauvery water dispute

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jul 31, 2026: Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj on Friday announced that the proposed statewide bandh would be observed across Karnataka, from Belagavi to Chamarajanagar and from Mangaluru to Kolar, urging people to extend wholehearted support and not treat it as merely a symbolic protest.

Speaking to reporters, Nagaraj said the agitation was aimed at protecting Karnataka’s interests and insisted that the state should not release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu in view of its own water requirements. He called on farmers to participate in large numbers, describing the bandh as a movement to safeguard Karnataka’s water resources.

He claimed that several Kannada organisations, farmers’ associations, women’s groups, labour unions and government employees’ organisations had pledged support for the protest. Nagaraj added that he was also reaching out to transport unions, including lorry owners, auto-rickshaw drivers, private bus operators and hotel associations, expressing confidence that they too would join the bandh.

Nagaraj further said the Kannada film industry had extended its support and appealed to students, workers and members of various trade bodies to participate in the statewide protest.

He clarified that essential services, including hospitals, would remain exempt from the 12-hour bandh. However, he urged the public to avoid unnecessary travel and appealed to citizens to ensure that the protest remained peaceful and successful.

Describing the bandh as a crucial moment for Karnataka, Nagaraj called upon all sections of society to stand united in support of the state’s interests in the Cauvery water dispute.