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Tamil movies, TV channels banned in Karnataka

The Cauvery water dispute took a new turn on Sunday with Tamil movies and television channels being banned in Karnataka.

The Kannada Hitharakshana Vedike [Kannada Welfare Protection Council] directed all cinema owners in the state to stop screening Tamil films from Monday, October 7, to protest against the Tamil film industry's proposed rally in Neyveli on October 12.

It also urged all cable operators in the state to stop relaying TV channels like Sun, Jaya, Raj, and Vijaya with immediate effect.

Karnataka State Cable TV Operators' Association spokesman told rediff.com in Bangalore that Tamil channels would be off air until the interstate water dispute was resolved amicably.

Pro-Karnataka organisations also threatened to ban all goods from Tamil Nadu and prevent entry of vehicles from that state if power supply from the Neyveli Lignite Corporation was discontinued.

Farmers in Tamil Nadu had made such a demand following Karnataka's refusal to release Cauvery waters.

Meanwhile, protesters attacked a cinema house in Bangalore and stopped the screening of Tamil superstar's latest flick Baba.

They also burnt an effigy of director and producer Bharati Raj for spearheading the Tamil film industry's proposed rally.

Additional forces were rushed to those localities of Bangalore where there was a dominant presence of Tamils. Tamils constitute around 15 per cent of the six million people in the city.

In a bid to prevent a repeat of the infamous riots that took place over a decade ago, in which several lives were lost due to police firing and mob violence, the police enforced prohibitory orders.

Cauvery Water Dispute: The Complete Coverage

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