Bengaluru, Feb 2: The bandh called in Bengaluru on February 4, by pro-Kannada farmers' groups, is 'unconstitutional', said the Karnataka High Court on Friday.

The Division bench headed by Chief Justice H G Ramesh, while hearing the petition challenging the bandh by Bengaluru-based Shraddha Parents Association, passed an interim order putting a stay on the bandh call.

The court further ordered the Siddaramaiah-led government in the state to enact all measures to prevent breakdown of law and order on February 4.

The bandh call was issued by Kannada Chalavi Vatal Pakhsha (KCVP), an umbrella group representing dozens of pro-Kannada and farmer outfits, to protest against the inaction adopted by the central and state governments to resolve the Mahadayi river water sharing row.

Mahadayi river-sharing row: What is the dispute all about?

The Mahadayi river, originating in North Karnataka's Belagavi district, flows largely into Goa and parts of Maharashtra. Nearly 76-km of the 111-km river flows into Goa before entering into the Arabian Sea.

The dispute began in early 90s' when the Karnataka government pitched the idea of constructing a network of dams to store a larger share of the river water.

In 2001, the dispute escalated after Karnataka initiated the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project - a network of canals - to divert nearly 7.56 thousand million cubic feet of water, which flows into Goa.

Challenging the move, the Goa government demanded the constitution of a Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.

The tribunal, set up in 2010, heard the arguments of both the states for six years. In 2016, it rejected Karnataka's plea seeking approval for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The move sparked widespread agitation in the state, with farmer groups of North Karnataka -- which faced the brunt of back-to-back droughts in 2016-17 -- organising massive protests against the state and central government.

The bandh call issued in Bangalore on February 4 coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in the state. Vatal Nagaraj, who heads the Kannada Okkoota, one of the groups participating in the protest, said the bandh call would be revoked "if the PM gives us an assurance".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 02, 2018 04:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).