Bengaluru: Police detained 65 people, including Kannada Chalavali Vatal Party leader Vatal Nagaraj, after a protest at Athipalli on the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border on Sunday.
The demonstration was held to criticise the Tamil Nadu government for opposing the proposed Mekedatu dam project. Protesters raised slogans against the Tamil Nadu government and attempted to proceed in a march towards Tamil Nadu, but were stopped by security personnel and taken into custody. They were later released.
The protest also led to a road blockade on the Hosur–Bengaluru National Highway, affecting vehicle movement. From 10 am, Tamil Nadu government buses bound for Bengaluru were halted at the Hosur bus stand, and services resumed after the protest ended.
Addressing the gathering, Vatal Nagaraj said Karnataka would observe a statewide shutdown on the 13th to press for the Mekedatu dam. He warned of further steps if protests against the project continued in Tamil Nadu, including a campaign to permanently close the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border.
He also said there could be a complete ban on screening Tamil films in Karnataka, and urged Tamils living in Karnataka to write to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay asking them not to oppose the Mekedatu project. He added that his group would stage a satyagraha in front of the Chennai Secretariat to argue for the project’s necessity.
