BENGALURU: Despite Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s appeal to pro-Kannada organisations not to go ahead with the Karnataka bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on Saturday, the organisers are determined.Yediyurappa said on Friday: “This bandh is not required, and I appeal to them not to trouble people with the bandh.” He also stressed that he was making all efforts to take all communities along. The CM said his government is giving prominence to Kannada language and is even willing to consider suggestions from the pro-Kannada organisations.
However, Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj, who is leading the agitation against the formation of the Maratha Development Corporation, confirmed to The New Indian Express that they will go ahead with the state-wide bandh on Saturday. “It will be 100 per cent successful. The government is trying to do everything to ensure that the bandh is not successful, but people of the state are supporting us,” he claimed.
Several pro-Kannada outfits, including Vatal Nagaraj’s Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and Kannada Samara Sene had called for the statewide bandh after the CM announced the formation of the MDC with a grant of Rs 50 crore for the “overall development of the Maratha people in Karnataka”.Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the government will take stringent action against those forcing the bandh.
Don’t force people into state bandh, warns Bommai
“I request the organisers not to force people into the bandh. If they do so, we will take strict action against them,” he told reporters in Karwar.Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan stressed that it is not right to equate the setting up of the corporation, which has been done for taking up development initiatives for the Martha community in the state, with language. All those who are residing in Karnataka for ten years are Kannadigas, he said.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across the state, especially in Bengaluru city. Special security has been provided at Kempegowda International Airport and the railway stations for which up to 15,000 policemen have been deployed.The protesters have planned to start rallies around the city by gathering at Mysore Bank Circle, Seshadri road, Maurya Circle and Town Hall to block roads. Traffic is likely to be affected around the Central Business District.A senior police officer said, “We will allow them to protest peacefully, but if they try to force shops and commercial establishments to shut, we will take strict action against them.”
Additional Director
General of Police (Law and Order) Pratapa Reddy said elaborate security arrangements have been made in all the districts and an instructions has been issued to all Superintendents of Police to deploy adequate security personnel. He said additional police forces have been deployed in sensitive areas and specific districts. The Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) and City Armed Reserve (CAR) platoons have already been deployed to handle any untoward situation. “We have also alerted senior police officers to monitor the rallies and protests during the bandh,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Vatal Nagaraj said the proposed bandh is for Kannada pride and accused the State Government of threatening various organisations to withdraw support to the bandh. “We don’t care for these kinds of threats. We have already informed the transport department not to run buses in Bengaluru and across the state. We also sent a message to the government that if anything goes wrong, the government will be responsible,” he said.
WHAT IS RUNNING
Medical stores, hospital and other medical services, BMTC, KSRTC buses, Metro service, milk supply, essential services, ATMs, fuel pumps, food joints, hotels and vegetable/fruit shops, meat stalls, government offices of all departments and garment factories and industries
WHAT MAY BE OFF
Cab and auto services, theatres and shopping malls