Supporters of the Karnataka bandh took to the streets in Mandya on Thursday morning, voicing their opposition to the directive to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.Members of various outfits, including pro-Kannada organisations and farmers’ associations, staged an empty-pot protest at Sanjay Circle. However, vehicle movement remained normal on the city’s main roads.Some protesters cooked horse gram at the Circle as a symbolic gesture, highlighting the difficulties faced by farmers who are unable to cultivate paddy and sugarcane due to inadequate reservoir water and are being forced to depend on rain-fed crops such as horse gram.The protesters raised slogans against the directive to release Cauvery water and demanded that not a single drop be released to Tamil Nadu under any circumstances.Some shops and hotels remained closed till noon in support of the cause, while most commercial establishments resumed normal operations later in the day. Bike rallies were also taken out in the city to express solidarity with the bandh. Published - August 13, 2026 09:13 pm IST