PIL seeks directive to protect citizens

BANGALORE: A PIL has been moved before the Karnataka high court seeking for a direction to the state government for preserving life and property of citizens of the state in the light of ongoing agitations in relation to the Cauvery river dispute.
City advocate MK Vijayakumar has filed the petition. The petition was mentioned before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen on Thursday and the bench asked for the petition to be listed on October 19.
The petitioner has claimed that chief minister Jagadish Shettar, his cabinet colleagues and the state DGP are not showing any concern towards citizens' safety despite farmers and other organisations calling for bandhs, rasta rokos daily since Sept 28 till date and preventing vehicular movement between Bangalore and Mysore and vice versa.
He also claimed that though the CM and the water resources minister attended the CRA meeting on September 19, they chose to walk out in the middle of the meeting showing disrespect to the Prime Minister.
The petitioner states that Cauvery agitation is being used for political gains by the ruling party.
"The state has failed in containing the agitation which may result in failure of constitutional machinery of the state. As per Article 355 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the central government to protect every sate against internal disturbance and to ensure that the governance of every state is carried on in accordance of the provisions of the Constitution," the petitioner has said while expressing concern over the likelihood of violence in case of an adverse order against Karnataka.