CLICK TO READ: Will go to 'Pataal' to Hunt Down Killers of RSS Workers if Voted to Power, Says Amit Shah in Karnataka



If I start counting the corruption charges against the Karnataka CM, I won't be able to go from here: Amit Shah

The Karnataka government calls itself a friend of the OBC community, but when our PM wanted to give constitutional status to OBC Commission and bring in an amendment the congress created obstacles at the Centre: Amit Shah

Siddaramaiah and corruption are two faces of the same coin: Amit Shah Advertisement

“I assure you, our 20 workers' sacrifice won’t go in vain. Once we come to power, we will hunt them down even if they are in pataal and send them to jail: Amit Shah

When we ask permission to celebrate Hindu festivals, approval is denied. Approval is immediately given for festivals of certain communities: Amit Shah

READ | Prakash Raj Wades Into Mahadayi River Row, Says 'We Kannadigas Have Right to the Water'

Out of 4649, 852 buses from different districts have started operating from 2 pm onwards. Earlier in the day, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation has suspended its services after activists stopped buses at the main Majestic bus station and offloaded passengers around 7.30-8 am.

Opinion by News18’s DP Satish | Knowingly or unknowingly the BJP, which is at the receiving end of the agitating people in Karnataka, has walked into a trap by terming Mahadayi water sharing row a “north Karnataka issue.” Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and Union Cabinet minister Sadananda Gowda had said that Mahadayi is a north Karnataka issue and there was no need for south Karnataka people to join the protests. It has led to a huge furore on social media. BJP is having to walk a tightrope on the contentious issue because its own government in Goa, led by Manohar Parrikar, has objected to the water-sharing pact. Goa had earlier approached the Supreme Court demanding cancellation of the project and cited ecological reasons. Amit Shah had convened a meeting of Parrikar and BSY, but nothing came out of it. BJP’s alliance partner in Goa, the Goa Forward Party, is opposing negotiations with Karnataka. It’s also important to note that Mumbai-Karnataka region, which is demanding Mahadayi water, is BJP’s stronghold and Lingayats are in large number in this region. Now that Shah has landed in Mysuru amid statewide bandh, it remains to be seen how he addresses the issue with Assembly polls less than three months away. Advertisement

BJP president Amit Shah arrives at Mysuru airport, He will address a rally in Mysuru. Meawhile, normal life was disrupted in different parts of Karnataka today due to a state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada outfits demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa.

READ | Mahadayi River, the Bone of Contention Between Goa and Karnataka: All You Need to Know

Visuals from the Central bus station at Majestic in Bengaluru. With state-run buses remaining off the road, passengers who had come to the city from outside were stranded at the main bus terminal here. Similar reports have come in from Mysuru, Gadag, Dharwad and Hassan. Autorickshaws and cabs were plying but in lesser numbers.

Prakash Raj on Twitter: "On the Mahadayi water dispute issue, first of all, all the political parties must stop politicising it. We Kannadigas have a right over the water that flows past Kalasa Banduri... In a democracy, once a political party comes to power, it is no longer just a political party, but a party that is duty-bound to work for the people it represents... Any party that keeps saying — our party is ruling at the Centre or in some neighbouring state — so we will bring water on the basis of this, through political means -- is telling a blatant lie. This is a pro-people agitation — please don't do politics over 'people's fundamental rights. Let us all be with the people —I'm with the people in this agitation. My request to all parties — please leave your political ideologies aside, put aside these attempts to beg for votes, we must come together and stand together to put pressure for our rightful share in the water this is not a problem that cannot be solved if we are united — let's agitate and ensure our rights are given to us."

Lawyers boycott Court in Bengaluru to show their support for Mahadayi water dispute protest. Normal life was disrupted in different parts of Karnataka today due to a state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada outfits demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa.

(Credit: Network18)

The KTCL has been plying its buses, connecting Panaji to various places in Karnataka, like Belagavi, Hubli, Bagalkot, Bengaluru and others. "The services to Karnataka have been suspended for a day due to the strike called by them. The services will resume once the strike is called off," KTCL's managing director Deryk Natto told PTI today. He said 23 buses which were regularly plying to Karnataka have been kept off roads till further orders. However, the buses to Hyderabad, which have to pass through Karnataka, moved during the early hours today before the bandh started, Natto said. On Wednesday, seven buses had moved to Hyderabad and those vehicles are parked safely at a depot there, he added. Karnataka and Goa, the riparian states of the Mahadayi (known as Mandovi in Goa), have been locked in a bitter battle over the sharing of the water of the river, which originates in Belagavi in Karnataka. The matter is pending before the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal.

Goa suspends bus services to Karnataka The Goa government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) has suspended its bus services to Karnataka today owing to the bandh called in the neighbouring state over the Mahadayi River water dispute. In another development, the Goa government has set up a four-member committee to monitor any possible activity in Maharashtra or Karnataka to divert the river water. Several pro-Kannada outfits have called for the statewide dawn-to-dusk bandh today in Karnataka, demanding the prime minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi river water dispute with Goa.

While the film industry and multiplexes have decided to remain shut, hospitals and clinics are expected to function normally, with Indian Medical Association office bearers stating that they will be extending moral support by wearing a black band. Though hotels, restaurants and eateries were opened in some areas, owners said they may have to stop their services depending on the situation as customers are also less. Differences have cropped up among Kannada organisations regarding the bandh call. Vatal Nagaraj, who heads 'Kannada Okoota', an umbrella organisation of Kannada bodies, visited different parts of the city this morning and claimed the bandh has been "total" across the state and thanked public and organisations for cooperation. Police said elaborate security arrangements have been made across the state to ensure that no untoward incident occurs.

Uber and Ola car services are functional in Bengaluru. In other parts, normal life has been hit as certain public services were paralysed. With state-run buses remaining off the road, passengers who had come to the city from outside were stranded at the main bus terminal here. Cab and auto rickshaw drivers said customers were few today as most of the offices have declared a holiday.

Pro-Kannada outfits are seen burning an effigy of the Central government near town hall. In other parts also, normal life has been hit as certain public services were paralysed. The protesters are demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa. Major impact of the dawn-to-dusk bandh is being seen in northern districts that come under Malaprabha river basin. (Image: Network18)

Normal life was disrupted in different parts of Karnataka today due to a state-wide bandh called by pro-Kannada outfits demanding the Prime Minister's intervention in the inter-state Mahadayi River water row with neighbouring Goa. A major impact of the dawn-to-dusk bandh is being seen in northern districts that come under Malaprabha river basin. In other parts also, normal life has been hit as certain public services were paralysed. With state-run buses remaining off the road, passengers who had come to the city from outside were stranded at the main bus terminal here. Similar reports have come in from Mysuru, Gadag, Dharwad and Hassan. Autorickshaws and cabs were plying but in lesser numbers.

Pro-Kannada outfits protest outside townhall in Bengaluru. (Image: Network18

Around 100 police personnel and fire brigade present at town hall in order to maintain the law and order situation in the state.

Pro-Kannada outfits coming out in trucks to protest over Mahadayi water dispute. Normal life is partially affected; schools are shut, Wipro and Infosys have declared a holiday for its employees. (Image: Network18)

BJP National President Amit Shah will address Parivartana Yatre today at 2:30 pm in Mysore, Karnataka. Pro-Kannada outfits have called for a Karnataka bandh today when Shah will address a rally in Mysuru and a Bengaluru bandh on February 4, the day PM Modi arrives in the city to address a public meeting.

Infosys has also given its employees a holiday. They haven't been asked to work from home either. Earlier in the day, Wipro has declared a holiday for employees as a precautionary measure, reports CNN-News18's Stacy Pereira

In a tit-for-tat move to the bandh during visits of Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, the party's state unit today decided to observe district specific shutdown during Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's state tour. Gandhi will kick-start his campaign for the upcoming assembly polls on February 10. "We have decided that when Rahul Gandhi comes to Karnataka, we will call for a complete bandh in those districts he will be visiting,"BJP state President B S Yeddyurappa said in Madikeri. BJP has termed as "politically motivated" a call for a Karnataka bandh tomorrow and Bengaluru bandh on February 4 by pro-Kannada outfits demanding the Prime Minister's mediation inthe inter-state Mahadayi river water dispute with Goa.

READ | Kannada Outfits Plan to Greet PM Modi and Shah With Bandhs During their Visit to Bengaluru, Mysore

Kalaburagi is yet to witness any effect of Karnataka Bandh... Several Kannada organisations have called for Karnataka Bandh over Mahadayi River Water dispute on Thursday. They claim that it is a protest against the visit of BJP national president Amit Shah to participate in a BJP public meeting in Mysore. The organisations are angry with the Centre’s alleged disinterest resolving the dispute with neighbouring state of Goa. They have called a separate Bengaluru Bandh on February 4 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the city.

What is Mahadayi Dispute That Threatens to Rock Karnataka. Here's an Explainer

What is the Mahadayi dispute: * Mahadayi river is known as Mandovi river in Goa. The state capital Panaji is on the banks of Mandovi river. It is one of the smallest rivers in India. * This rain-fed river originates at Bhimghad in Belgaum district of Karnataka. It flows first 35km through Karnataka and remaining 52km through Goa before joining Arabian Sea. Bordering areas of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra depend on Mahadayi for their water needs. * Renowned water expert the late SG Balekundri first planned Mahadayi water diversion in 1970. The plan was to feed Malaprabha river and store the water in Navilatirtha dam in Karnataka's Dharwad district. This dam, built in the 1970s, has not been filled to its capacity, except three or four times. * When S M Krishna was the Chief Minister of Karnataka he started the work in 2002. The BJP government in Goa led by CM Manohar Parrikar had objected to it.