Mandya: Stepping up their agitation against release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, farmers bodies on September 16 announced they would launch 'Jail Bharo' from September 17.

Agitating farmers blocked the movement of trains and buses between Bangalore and Mysore, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded for hours, as elsewhere in Mandya district, road blockades and protests continued. Following the agitation, train and bus services between Bangalore and Mysore were suspended, following mounting protests in the district.

Seeking to keep up pressure on the government, an all-party meeting of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Legislators, called by the Mandya district farmers' committee spearheading the stir, demanded that the government stop release of water forthwith.

Apart from announcing the programme to fill the jails, the meeting, which was not attended by Congress representatives, barring Atmananda, a MLA, also decided to launch a 'non-co-operation' movement by asking farmers not to pay taxes. The meeting, in a resolution, said that Chief Minister S M Krishna should step down and join the agitation if the verdict of the Supreme Court, where Tamil Nadu's petition is pending, was not favourable to the state.

In Mandya, protesters hurled burning tyres on the tracks at the station, which was ransacked last week by violent farmers. Two trains were detained and police had to lathicharge agitators at Pandavapura when they pelted stones.

In Mysore, over 2,000 farmers from a neighbouring village made a vain bid to lay siege to the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) here. After forming a human chain in the main circle in Mysore, they went in a procession to the DC's office and forced closure of shops on the way and pelted stones at those, which remained open, damaging the glass panes.

Tension prevailed as the crowd and the police were engaged in a wordy duel, but they dispersed after it started raining.

PTI