The Karnataka bandh called by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday to protest the death of one of its members in demonstrations against the State Government-sponsored birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan at Madikeri evoked strong response in some districts.
The coastal district of Managaluru faced the maximum brunt of the Bandh as vehicles remained off roads, and schools and colleges had to be shutdown. Authorities invoked Section 144 as a precautionary measure in Bengaluru and other sensitive areas of the State for three days.
Mysuru, Tumakuru, Kodagu, Raichuru and some other districts also faced the wrath of the bandh.
The call for the Statewide bandh was given after a young man named Harish was allegedly stabbed to death near BC Road in Mangalore on Thursday. A local VHP leader also died on the same day in Madikeri during the anti-Tipu demonstrations.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) staged a protest against the ongoing violence in Madikeri over the birth anniversary celebrations of 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan in front of the town hall in Bengaluru. The protestors raised VHP flags and carried placards showing a morphed image of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a typical Muslim beard and cap.
The agitators also burnt an effigy of Siddaramaiah and raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans.
One of the VHP activists, while addressing the gathering, said that organising the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan by the State Government was a deliberate attempt to insult people of Kodagu, who had rebelled against the 18th century Mysore ruler.
On Tuesday, a local VHP leader, Kutappa, had died and several others were injured in the violence that erupted over the holding of the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Mysuru justified his Government’s stand on Tipu Jayanti and flayed the BJP-VHP-Bajrang Dal combine for the violence over Tipu Sultan Jayanti in parts of the State and accused them of trying to gain political mileage over the issue by stoking communal flames.
Speaking to presspersons in Mysuru on Friday, the Chief Minister said the State Government has taken all measures to restore normalcy in the violence-affected areas and has clamped prohibitory orders. When pointed out that the violence was spiralling to different districts, the CM said right wing outfits were responsible for disturbing peace in society and was “unnecessarily raking up issues” for their political gains.