Mekedatu Protest at Attibele Border Halts TN-Karnataka Buses for Three Hours

Interstate bus services between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were halted for nearly three hours on Monday morning following a roadside protest staged by pro-Kannada organisations at the Attibele check-post on the Bengaluru-Chennai National Highway in Krishnagiri.

The demonstration took place near the toll plaza, where more than 60 activists assembled around 10:20 a.m. The group raised slogans directed against the Tamil Nadu government, protesting Tamil Nadu's opposition to the proposed dam construction across the Cauvery River at Mekedatu. Marching towards the border line, the protesters subsequently sat down on the road to block movement. During the sit-in, demonstrators shouted slogans asserting that the Cauvery River belongs to Karnataka and calling for the immediate construction of the Mekedatu dam.

The protest was conducted under the leadership of Vatal Nagaraj, representing the Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha, and Manjunath Deva, representing the Kannada Rakshana Vedike.

The agitation caused significant operational disruptions for public transport operators on both sides of the state border. Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation buses operating out of Hosur were brought to a halt, while buses originating from Karnataka stopped short and did not cross into Tamil Nadu. As tension escalated at the border location, passengers travelling between the two states found themselves stranded for almost three hours.

To resolve the situation and clear the highway, Karnataka police arrived at the scene and detained all the participating protesters by 1:30 p.m. With the activists removed from the site, law enforcement restored order at the border check-post. Cross-border bus services were allowed to resume shortly after the police detained the demonstrators.