Pro-Kannada organisations calls off April 10 bandh

Pro-Kannada organisations calls off April 10 bandh
Sunday April 6 2008 00:00 IST

Express News Service
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BANGALORE: Pro-Kannada organisations on Saturday called off State bandh on April 10 following an assurance by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M Karunanidhi that they would put the Hogenakkal drinking water project on hold till the formation of a new government in the State.

Speaking to this website's newspaper, Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samithi President and former MLA Vatal Nagaraj said that they have withdrawn the bandh following a statement by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that his government would wait till a popular government was installed in Karnataka after the May Assembly polls. ''We have withdrawn the bandh temporarily. But, we will continue our struggle if Tamil Nadu continues with the project,'' Vatal said.

The pro-Kannada organisation under the umbrella of Akhila Karnataka Gadi Horata Samithi, had called for a bandh to protest against Karunanidhi's remark on the Hogenakkal drinking water project.

The project had triggered off a spate of protest by various pro-Kannada organisations for the past five days. The State had witnessed a series of demonstration, burning of effigies of Karunanidhi, anti-TN slogan shouting, and attack on cable operators. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike had also tried to force cable TV operators to black out all Tamil channels. Even the Karnataka film industry had extended its support to the bandh.