Karnataka tense after Jayalalithaa’s death
Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has instructed bus drivers to remain in Tamil Nadu depots, while thousands of inter-sate cabs are off the roads
Bengaluru: Karnataka remains tense after the passing away of Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday as the two neighbouring states have shared a rocky history over contentious and emotional issues like the century old Cauvery river water dispute and the kidnapping of matinee idol Rajkumar in 2000 by the now slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan among others.
Bengaluru has nearly 30 platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) on stand-by and the Hosur-Attibele (Bengaluru) border has two platoons stationed there.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has instructed their drivers to remain in TN depots fearing damage to vehicles. On Monday, at least three Karnataka buses were damaged due to stone pelting by mobs forcing the suspension of bus services including private operators to the neighbouring state.
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Narendar Pani, a Bengaluru-based political analyst and professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, said ad rains and Cauvery water in 2016 have been points of tension this year but adds that it is common for bordering states to be wary of any possible unrest in the neighbouring states.
Thousands of cabs that do business and tourist related trips to places like Hosur, Chennai and Krishnagiri among other places have stayed away from plying today, Radhakrishna Holla, president of the Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Operators Association, said on Tuesday.
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“We were told by people and our contacts on the other side not to send vehicles to Tamil Nadu today," he said while estimating that nearly 10,000-15,000 cabs from Karnataka ply daily to the neighbouring state. However, he adds that there have been no reports on violence on KA registered cabs so far.
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