Ryots to block vehicles in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: Even as the police have made eleborate security arrangements for Bharat Bandh from 11 am to 3 pm on Tuesday, people are advised to avoid Ballari Road, Tumakuru Road and Mysuru Road. The protesting farmers plan to enter the city through these roads to gain entry to Maurya Circle, Town Hall and Mysuru Bank Circle, where they would congregate at 9 am to express their solidarity with their counterparts protesting on Delhi’s borders against the eactment of the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
Traffic will be hit as farmers to lay siege to B’luru
Kurbur Shanthkumar, state president, Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association, said that around 9 am the farmers will gather at the three points in the city and the rallies will begin from Yelahanka, Nelamangala and Mysuru Road. “Meanwhile, we will not allow any transport vehicles to the city till evening,” he said. Several farmer representatives organised a sit-in protest at Freedom Park and Maurya Cirle since Monday itself and decided to intensify the protest across the state on Tuesday, and in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Kannada activists, Dalit organisations, labour unions, private taxi owners and lorry owners’ associations are likely to support the bandh.
Kodihalli Chandrashekar, state president, Karnataka Rajya Pranthya Raitha Sangha and Karnataka Hasiru Sene, said, “All individuals, including bank staff, government officers and students, should join the rally at Town Hall.”Several farmers’ groups have decided to block highways across the state during the bandh.
However, all services, including cabs and autos, and business and banking establishments, are likely to function normally. APMC markets and goods and transport service will be shut till evening.
Traffic may be affected around Anand Rao Circle, Corporation Circle, Sheshadri Road and Race Course Road as about 10,000 farmers are expected to be part of the protest, which is likely to spill over to Wednesday when they plan to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha where the state legislature began its seven-day winter session from Monday.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant told TNIE, “Elaborate security arrangements have been made across the city and instructions have been passed to all police officers to deploy adequate security personnel. More police forces, including Karnataka State Reserve Police and City Armed Reserve platoons, have been deployed to handle the situation. Senior police officers will closely observe rallies and protests. We are closely monitoring the situation.”