Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
A 12-hour statewide bandh called by pro-Kannada groups to protest the alleged assault on a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for not knowing Marathi began in Karnataka on Saturday morning amid tight security.
Pro-Kannada groups staged protests in various parts of the state, urging shopkeepers to support the cause, although most shops remained open as usual.
In Bengaluru, activists gathered at Mysore Bank Circle, holding placards and raising slogans. Some staged a demonstration at the BMTC and KSRTC bus stands at Majestic, appealing to bus drivers and conductors to support the bandh. As protests intensified, police took some activists into preventive custody.
In Mysuru, activists blocked buses at the suburban bus stand and staged a dharna near the exit gate to block buses heading to Bengaluru and other areas. Some protesters were also detained after attempting to stop a KSRTC bus.
In Davangere, protesters took to the streets as well. Sources in Belagavi reported that KSRTC buses were operating normally, but there were restrictions on buses travelling from Maharashtra due to the ongoing border dispute.
The region has a significant Marathi-speaking population, and recent incidents, including the assault on the conductor and the abuse of Panchayat officials for not speaking Marathi, have heightened tensions. The accused in both incidents have been taken into custody.
Elaborate security measures have been deployed across the state, with senior officers overseeing the situation to prevent any unrest. Police in various districts have deployed home guards and the City Armed Reserve unit as a precaution to ensure the bandh is observed peacefully.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda warned that legal action would be taken against anyone coercing people to participate in the bandh. He confirmed the deployment of 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the entire civil and traffic police force in Bengaluru.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged the public to maintain peace and follow the law, stating that while the state would protect its interests, he believed there was no need for the bandh. Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G confirmed that no holidays had been declared for schools and colleges.
On February 28, 'Kannada Okkuta,' an umbrella organisation of pro-Kannada groups, announced the bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on March 22. Some organisations and unions have chosen to stay away or offer only moral support.
The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are expected to remain functional, with decisions based on the situation on the ground. Some auto-rickshaw, cab, and private driver unions have extended support to the bandh, while hotel associations, malls, bars, and restaurants have provided only moral support. Emergency services, including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services, remain operational.
With inputs from PTI
