Mandya: Tension prevailed for some time as several pro-Kannada and farmer activists staged a protest at Sanjay Circle on the old Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway in the heart of Mandya city this morning, in support of the Karnataka bandh.

Expressing solidarity, commercial establishments, including shops, hotels and others in the city, remained closed from morning till afternoon.

Autorickshaw operators too stayed off the roads for some time. As the situation returned to normal with the protesters dispersing from the spot, the shops were opened at around 1 pm. However, the protesters warned of resuming the protest tomorrow.

The organisations that had called for protests in advance as part of the Karnataka bandh held empty water pots and spread horse gram in the middle of the road, besides raising slogans against the State Government.

They warned the Government against releasing even a drop of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu and raised slogans against the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) and Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumara, who arrived at the protest spot, made a vain bid to pacify the protesters. He appealed to them to maintain peace and law and order, besides lending an ear to their concerns.

As a precautionary measure, District Armed Reserve (DAR) Police personnel and KSRP platoons had been deployed in the city.