Dharwad: While the entire State observed a bandh on Saturday protesting the objection of Tamil Nadu on the Mekedatu project, the Northern part of Karnataka also agitated, however for a different reason.

The pro-Kannada organizations in the district held a demonstration to protest the “injustice” meted out to North Karnataka by delaying the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri Nala project.

The demonstrators also protested against the eviction of Kannadigas from the Baina Beach in Goa and burned the effigy representing the Goa government. Members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and the Karnataka Navanirman Sena held separate protest rallies.

That the bandh fell on a Saturday didn’t help the cause of the Mekedatu agitators either. Business in the market area went on without any hassle. Public transport was not affected either. The cool response to the bandh call originates from the strong feeling that people in South Karnataka are indifferent to the problems faced by those in the north.

Addressing to which an activist said, “Whenever we have launched an agitation for irrigation projects and other issues and have called for a bandh, the response from the south has been zero. Why should we support them now?”