BENGALURU: Hundreds of shops in and around the Chamarajpet Idgah Maidan remained shut during Chamarajpet bandh while more than 15 activists were taken into preventive custody following sloganeering at the contentious Maidan.While residents and traders showed complete cooperation to make the bandh, called by Hindu outfits, successful, the Mandipet Traders Association abstained from participating in the bandh and instead supported the MLA.
The Chamarajapete Okkoota Samithi, Vishwa Sanatha Parishad, Srirama Sene and other pro-Hindu outfits had called for a day-long bandh alleging that local MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan has used his position and prevented public from using the playground for other communities.“Our agitation was only pertaining to the land and civil dispute, but the MLA and his followers have made it look like a communal issue. Demanding that others also should get a chance to use the ground, we had called a bandh,” said S Bhaskaran, president, Vishwa Sanatha Parishad.
As the crowd swelled, members of Srirama Sene stormed the ground, shouting slogans. Anticipating worsening of the law and order situation, the police took them into custody. Bengaluru unit’s Srirama Sene heads Chandarshekar and Amarnath are among those arrested but were released later.
While residents and traders in and around Chamarajpete area expressed displeasure against the local MLA for poor handling of the controversy over Idgah land and alleged that he was favouring a particular community, Mandipete Traders Association sided with the MLA.
“Only a few shops were shut in and around Idgah by force, they (hindu outfits) also asked us to shut shops but we did not bow. We live here peacefully and I credit this to MLA Khan,” said Dinesh, president, Mandipet Traders Association.