India’s Silicon Valley will be under a complete shutdown on Tuesday as pro-Kannada organisations and farmer unions have called for bandh to protest against the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu. The bandh has been called from 6am to 6pm on Tuesday. Bengaluru Urban District Collector KA Dayanand has announced a public holiday for all schools and colleges in the city. City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that Section 144 will be imposed across the city and gatherings of more than five people will not be allowed. 

Pro-Kannada organisations have planned protests at Freedom Park, Raj Bhawan, and Town Hall areas of Bengaluru. The Police Commissioner, however, said that protests would be allowed only at Freedom Park. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Monday said the government would not curtail any protests on the Cauvery dispute while urging organizers to maintain peace.  

Both, the BJP and the JDS have also announced their support for Bengaluru bandh on Tuesday and the state-wide shutdown on Friday. The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) has asked Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for additional 15 days, based on a recommendation by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee