Cauvery water row: Uneasy calm after storm in Bengaluru

Chennai: As protests over Cauvery water issue brought Bengaluru to a standstill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he was “personally pained” at the developments and pitched for finding solution by maintaining restraint and starting a dialogue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Terming the situation as “distressful” and arguing that violence cannot provide solution to any problem, Mr Modi said the dispute can only be solved within the legal ambit.   “In a democracy, solutions are found through restraint and mutual dialogue. This dispute can only be solved within the legal ambit. Breaking the law is not a viable alternative. The violence and arson seen in the last two days is only causing loss to the poor, and to our nation’s property,” Mr Modi said in a statement.

Protests erupted in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Sunday over the Cauvery water issue. While Tamils in Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka were targeted and a huge number of Tamil Nadu buses burnt in the state capital, some establishments and a few buses owned by Kannadigas were attacked and stoned in Tamil Nadu.

“Whenever the country has faced adverse circumstances, the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, just like people across the country, have always handled the situation with sensitivity.  I appeal to the people of the two States, to display sensitivity, and also keep in mind their civic responsibilities,” the Prime Minister said.