Now Reading: Kannada activists block Attibele border, hint at big August 13 bandh
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Kannada activists block Attibele border, hint at big August 13 bandh
Kannada activists led by veteran Vatal Nagaraj blocked the Attibele inter-state border crossing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from 11 am on Monday, stopping vehicles in both directions. The one-day action is…
The Story in Brief
Kannada activists led by veteran Vatal Nagaraj blocked the Attibele inter-state border crossing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from 11 am on Monday, stopping vehicles in both directions. The one-day action is a preview of a state-wide bandh planned for August 13 over long-standing water project disputes, including Mekedatu, Mahadayi, and Kalasa Bandhuri.
Nagaraj claims over 2,000 pro-Kannada organisations back the August 13 shutdown. He has threatened to shut Bengaluru airport if Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay Joseph visits without supporting the Mekedatu reservoir project. Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealed to call off the bandh but Nagaraj refused.
The Indian Opinion
Threatening to shut an airport over a water project is theatre, not politics. Vatal Nagaraj knows the August 13 bandh will be judged by shopkeepers in Bengaluru, not by the number of organisations he claims back him. The real test is whether trucks carrying essentials get through. DK Shivakumar has already asked him to pull back. If the bandh fails to draw more than fringe support, the airport threat will look empty. Watch how many hotels in Mysuru actually close on August 13, that number will settle the question of who ordinary Kannadigas are listening to.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
