BENGALURU TENSE AFTER VIOLENT CAUVERY PROTESTS, 15,000 POLICE DEPLOYED

India’s IT capital Bengaluru woke up to a tense morning on Tuesday with curfew and shoot-at-sight orders imposed in several parts of the city after violence erupted across Karnataka over a decades-long Cauvery water-sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu.

The violence erupted on Monday afternoon after the Supreme Court turned down Karnataka’s request to temporarily stop the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Authorities reported no overnight violence after one man was killed and another injured as rioters set at least 30 buses ablaze and vandalised shops. Metro and bus services are likely to suspended for the second straight day on Tuesday.

But fear continued to spread through video footage of flames leaping out of charred vehicles and threats of attacks on Tamil people in Bengaluru circulating over Whatsapp, forcing local police to issue advisories.

“Videos of attacks on Kannada-speaking people in various parts of Tamil Nadu triggered violent protests in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya,” said Karnataka home minister G. Parameshawara. He appealed to the people not to believe in Whatsapp messages.

More than 15,000 security personnel patrolled sensitive areas in Bengaluru and will be out on full force on Tuesday but the brunt of the violence was born by Mysore and Mandya were scores of buses and trucks with Tamil Nadu registration plates were torched. Karnataka chief minister S. Sidhharamaiah called an emergency cabinet meeting at 11 a.m. to discuss the situation.