Several pro-Kannada outfit members were detained by the police while protesting against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu outside the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Friday

Bengaluru Police also detained members of pro-Kannada organisations protesting near Attibele situated near the Karnataka -Tamil Nadu border

Pro-Kannada and farmers’ organisations have called for a ‘Karnataka bandh’ from dawn to dusk to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Over 2,000 organisations have supported the state-wide bandh even as the police quoted the Supreme Court order calling a bandh that affects public life “unconstitutional”.

The protest affected normal life in Bengaluru and several parts of Karnataka as the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) ordered the state to release 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 18 days. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that Karnataka will challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code are in effect in multiple districts, including Bengaluru Urban, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Ramanagara, and Hassan for 24 hours from Thursday night.

Bengaluru police commissioner, B Dayananda, urged protesters to assemble at Freedom Park where peaceful demonstrations have been permitted by the state government.

Also Read: Karnataka bandh: Holiday declared in all schools, colleges in Bengaluru

Several protesters who attempted to hold demonstrations in areas like the Bengaluru central bus terminal in Majestic, Town Hall and Mysuru Bank Circle were also detained.

At Bengaluru Airport, pro-Kannada activists raising slogans against the Karnataka government were detained.

Numerous organisations are supporting the bandh, including public and private transportation unions, private school administrations, the film industry, as well as hotel and restaurant associations,

As many as 44 flights were cancelled to and from Karnataka since early Friday. Several flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Mangaluru are among those cancelled.

Public transport systems including Namma metro trains and the Indian Railways’ train services are expected to operate normally though cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber and autorickshaws have extended their support for the shutdown and will not operate on Friday.

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate their buses as usua.

Meanwhile, most commercial establishments remained closed in the state capital on Friday. All malls and shops will remain shut and street vendors will not be allowed to sell food. Most schools and colleges remained closed as well. However, banks, hospitals and pharmacies opened on Friday.

In Mysuru, the Cauvery Kriya Samithi members protested in front of the KSRTC suburban bus stand, while in Kolar, the protesters stopped KSRTC buses plying on roads and forced them to turn back. They also forcefully shut down establishments. In Mandya, pro-Kannada outfits continued their protest as well.