Tamil actor Siddharth had to abruptly leave a press conference in Bengaluru on 28 September 2023. This unexpected departure occurred while the Tamil actor was promoting his recent film ‘Chithha,’ titled ‘Chikku’ in Kannada, which had just been released.
The reason for his departure was the interruption of the event by a group of individuals associated with the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene, who demanded that Siddharth vacate the venue. The protestors said that this was not the proper time to promote the film as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are currently engaged in a tussle over the water of the river Cauvery.
While the actor was in the midst of his interaction with the media, a group of men entered the venue and requested his departure. They also urged the event organisers to promptly conclude the press conference as a show of solidarity with the ongoing Cauvery protest.
VIDEO | Members of Kannada group disrupted Tamil Actor Siddharth's press conference to promote his movie (Kannada dubbed Chikku) in Malleshwarm by raising slogans over the Cauvery issue earlier today.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 28, 2023
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/WBTXKBjvNt
One of the protestors said, “We are fighting here and the Cauvery water is going to Tamil Nadu. And he is promoting the film, do you guys want this?” While the protestors were addressing him, actor Siddharth continued his interaction with the media in Kannada, choosing to ignore them.
Seeing this, another protestor said to the actor, “We have not come to order. We have come to request. Please stop this.” After some time, the actor rose from his seat, thanking the media representatives before departing from the press conference.
“Members of Karnataka Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene interrupted a press conference being held by actor Siddharth for his film ‘Chikku’ and demanded that he leave the venue. The members said that it was not an appropriate time for him to do this PC as Tamil Nadu is demanding Cauvery River water from Karnataka. Siddharth later left the theatre”, ANI shared on X.
#WATCH | Bengaluru | Members of Karnataka Karnataka Rakshana Vedike Swabhimani Sene interrupted a press conference being held by actor Siddharth for his film 'Chikku' and demanded that he leave the venue. The members said that it was not an appropriate time for him to do this PC… pic.twitter.com/R2QXbxgbbR
— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2023
Numerous pro-Kannada political parties, agricultural associations, and labor unions have united in a call for a Karnataka Bandh on September 29. This collective action is in protest against the release of Cauvery River water to Tamil Nadu.
The Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had issued an order mandating Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for a duration of 15 days. In response, the Karnataka cabinet made the decision to provide extra water to Tamil Nadu, following a Supreme Court ruling that emphasised its inability to intervene in this matter. Subsequently, numerous farmers and pro-Kannada organisations mobilized to express their dissent against this resolution.
The demonstrators argue that the water is being allocated to Tamil Nadu despite the fact that the southwestern monsoon is subsiding, and the reservoirs in the Cauvery basin of Karnataka are currently at historically low storage levels. The Cauvery River plays a vital role as the primary water source for Bengaluru and is essential for irrigation in the Mandya district of Karnataka.
The film ‘Chithha,’ starring Siddharth, has been dubbed into a Kannada version titled ‘Chikku.’ Directed by SU Arun Kumar, the movie boasts a cast led by Siddharth, alongside Nimisha Sajayan, Anjali Nair, and Sahasra Shree in prominent roles.
