Cauvery Row: Karnataka sent additional 700 riot control police to tackle protests

The south Indian state of Karnataka which has been facing heightened protests over the Cauvery water dispute issue has been sent an additional 700 riot control police personnel to tackle the grim situation.

The Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel have been sent to the violence-prone areas of Karnataka to assist the local administration to ensure peace, official sources said. With this latest deployment, a total of 1,700 paramilitary personnel have been deployed in violence-hit areas of Karnataka for maintaining law and order.

An uneasy calm prevailed in Bengaluru today after outbreak of violence over the issue of sharing Cauvery River water with Tamil Nadu, as Karnataka's Siddaramaiah government warned of "stringent" action against vandalism or attempts to disturb peace. Yesterday, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh called up Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and assured them all central assistance in handling the law and order situation in the two states which have been hit by violence over Cauvery dispute.