JDS- Congress ruled Karnataka witnesssed a good response to the ‘Bharath Bandh’ call given by various organisations and supported by opposition parties to protest against rising prices of petrol, diesel and LPG.
With coalition partners Janata Dal (S) and Congress the State extending support to the bandh, the entire
State witnessed a shutoff of business establishments, public transport was totally suspended and while essential services were exempted from the bandh.
However, flood ravaged Kodagu District was exempted from the Bandh as rehabilitation works are going on in war-footing.
The District Congress unit exempted itself from participating in the Bandh stating that it would affect the ongoing works and people will suffer further.
Almost all business establishments remained closed and public transport services, including Karnataka Road Transport Corporation bus service, taxis and auto-rickshaws remained off the roads, while the State government had announced holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.
Air passengers were warned by their respective aircraft operators yesterday itself about Bharat Bandh and possibility of non-availability of transport from the airport to reach their respective destinations.
Train and Metro services was normal. Banks, post offices, petrol bunks, hospitals, private companies, including all IT companies and government offices functioned as usual. But there was very thin attendance in government offices. Taxi services from aggregators like Ola and UBER were also deeply affected as drivers and owners of the cars had supported the bandh call. Most of the auto-rickshaws, barring some who affiliated to BJP supported unions were off the roads.
The situation remained by and large peaceful through out the state barring a few stray incidents of stone pelting and protesters forced some of the shops to shut down and the owners indulged in wordy duel.
Police had made elaborate security arrangements with tens of thousands of police personnel and officers ensuring that peace prevailed across the state barring some minor incidents. In Bengaluru alone, 15,000 police personnel and officers, 30 platoons each of KSRP and CAR and 270 patrolling vehicles were deployed.
Congress workers and those representing left parties, pro-Kannada organisations and others took out protest marches across the state condemning hike in fuel prices
In Bengaluru, KPCC President Dinesh Gundurao led the protest march from Mysuru Bank Circle to Mahatma Gandhi Statue at Mourya Circle.
Hundreds of workers belonging to the Congress, JD(S), Left parties and various other outfits came out on the streets to ensure the bandh was a success. They raised slogans against the hike in petrol and diesel prices. Schools and colleges in Bengaluru have been closed for the day. The public transport, cinema theatres, multiplexes across the state will also be non-operational. The Metro was running on its normal schedule in Bengaluru, but traffic was less on roads.
The shutdown was successful in many other parts of the state including Tumakuru, Ramanagar, Mandya, Channapatna, Hassan, Mangaluru, Chamarajnagar, Mysuru. Hubballi, Bidar and Kolar.
In Mangaluru, incidents of stone pelting at hotels and shops, which remained open, were reported.
Condemning the shutdown BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa called it a conspiracy by the coalition government of the Congress and JD(S) for forcibly making the bandh successful.