Siddarth Sethia
The Gubbi police have registered as many as 13 FIRs against protestors including MLA,local leaders and seers of the Mutt involved in violent protest against diversion of Hemavathy Chanal on Saturday.
A police Inspector along with few of his staff sustained injuries when the protestors pelted stones and roughed up when the police tried to disperse the protestors. Several vehicles were damaged in the melee.
The protest which started with a group of around 400 people at D Rampura village in Gubbi taluk blocked the national highway by burning the tyres to block the traffic .
Soon the crowd swelled to around 4,000 led by local leaders and seers of the mutt and their supporters.The protestors shouted slogans and stopped the vehicles plying on the highway .
The police had to struggle hard to disperse the violent protestors and detained them before filing cases charging them under blocking the highway,burning tyres, pelting stones,damaging vehicles and preventing the police from discharging duties .
The protesters comprising of Tumakuru,Gubbi and Turuvekere taluk opposing the diversion of canal to flow the water to Kunigal taluk,a officer, said .
The existing canal is providing enough water approximately 27 cusec to these three taluks and the residents and farmers are getting benefited from the arecanut farming .
Extending the canal to Kunigal taluk for its fixed quota may reduce the water inflow is their contention .
The police later cleared the highway and deployed additional forces along the highway and also at the sensitive areas to monitor law and order situation.
The situation is tense but peaceful.Senior police officials including the Superintendent of Police,KV Ashok camping at the strategic locations to monitoring the situation.
