Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed pain over the attacks in the two states locked in a bitter river water sharing row and appealed for calm while stressing that violence cannot provide solution to any problem. He asserted that the dispute can only be solved within the legal ambit and “breaking the law is not a viable alternative”.
As the country’s IT capital and other affected districts showed signs of limping back to normalcy, Karnataka government decided to obey the Supreme Court’s modified order asking it to release 12,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu till September 20 and warned of dealing with violence during protests against it with an “iron hand”.
The decision was taken after an emergency Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was held in Bengaluru to take stock of the Apex Court direction and Monday’s violence over release of water.
Hundreds of security personnel kept a tight vigil even as police said 365 people were arrested in connection with the violence in Karnataka which was blamed on Kannada activists and fringe groups. Police are conducting combing operations in several sensitive areas and dispersing assembled crowds.
Protests over the Cauvery issue continued in some parts of Tamil Nadu for the second day with fringe outfits like Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) holding agitations outside Kannada establishments in Chennai and in Coimbatore. Inter-state bus movements between the two states were also affected.
The toll in the Cauvery stir related violence rose to two when a 30-year old man, who had allegedly jumped in panic from a three-storey building while trying to escape police lathicharge in Bengaluru, succumbed to multiple injuries on Tuesday.
“Kumar, about 30 years old, has died. He was brought to our hospital at 9:30 last night in a critical stage. He is said to have jumped from third floor of a building as he was trying to escape from a lathicharge on Monday,” Dr Giridhar, Managing Director of Lakshmi Multi-Speciality Hospital, said.
Centre asks broadcasters to show facts after verification
Observing that some Indian TV channels had telecast “provocative and inflammatory” programmes related to Cauvery water dispute, the Centre has asked broadcasters to show facts after verification and with due caution in public interest for maintaining harmony.
In an advisory issued by it, the I&B ministry said that certain TV channels have been telecasting provocative and inflammatory news or programmes.
“Some TV channels have also been airing footage of violent incidents, rioting, etc repeatedly. These could further ignite tensions and reactions and could cause the law and order situation in both the states to deteriorate,” the I&B ministry said in an advisory issued on Tuesday.
It also emphasised that I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to people of both the states to maintain peace and not indulge in rioting and violence. Naidu, the advisory said has also sought that both the state governments take steps to check the spread of violence.
“Further, he (Naidu) has urged the media to exercise restraint in coverage of such incidents and has specifically requested the media to cooperate towards bringing the situation back to normalcy,” the I&B ministry advisory said.
The ministry asked the media including cable networks to exercise restraint in covering incidents of violence and rioting and not to carry news in such a way that it incites violence.
“Telecast of live or file shots of violence or rioting may be avoided. Reportage may use shots of Cauvery river and security forces,” the advisory said while also stressing that care should be exercised in the choice of words as well.