Call for bandh receives lukewarm response

Koppal/Ballari/Yadgir: The Karnataka ‘bandh’ called by the BJP seeking farm loan waiver from the newly formed government, received a very weak response from across the State. In most districts, normal life was unaffected since buses and private vehicles ran as usual and schools, colleges and offices remained open. Except for vehicular movements being disrupted in a few areas, things were largely normal in the State. Ironically, as BJP workers were seen closing shops and business establishments forcefully in certain districts, the party claimed that it had not called for the bandh.

A few feathers were ruffled in Koppal district when MP Karadi Sanganna stormed to the Koppal town police station, along with his supporters. Reportedly, the police had seized a public address system-fitted autorickshaw, used by the BJP to seek support for the bandh, on the grounds that permission had not been sought for its usage. When Sanganna questioned the police for this, it turned out to be a heated argument and later, the police sent the BJP workers on their way.

Ballari city MLA G. Somashekar Reddy took out a bike rally with party workers in the main streets of Ballari. They also forcefully closed the main gates of NEKRTC bus depot and closed a few shops in the Gadagi Chennappa Circle. They burned tyres as a mark of protest against the ‘failure’ of the Chief Minister in announcing the waiver.

Whereas in Dakshina Kannada, things were comparatively peaceful with city and outstation buses operating normally and shops and business establishments functioning as usual. The police had made arrangements to prevent any law and order problem, and had warned activists against forcible closure of shops. In Chikkamagaluru, BJP workers forced KSRTC staff to stop their bus service and threatened the staff that they would throw stones at the vehicles.

In Yadgir, BJP MLA Venkatareddy Mudnal apparently demanded that an elderly customer at a hotel leave the place immediately. A video captured in a mobile phone shows the MLA talking to the man and later, losing his patience and say, “Shut up! I am a MLA asking you to go out”. Mudnal, however, denied allegations of forceful eviction of customers and said that he had only requested the hotel management to remove the customers from the hotel.

There was no sign of a bandh in Kolar district, except for a few protests by BJP functionaries. Police also took 10 BJP workers into custody for preventing the movement of vehicles at the KSRTC Bus Stand Circle. At Chickballapur also, the bandh had a poor response. At Chintamani, BJP workers staged a protest in front of the taluk office and submitted a memorandum regarding their demand.