Charade on bundh loss hits Guv, CM, BJP

BSY blames Bhardwaj; petition seeks compensation from BJP

On the other hand, a petitioner who moved the Karnataka High Court and pegged the loss at Rs 5,000 crore, has prayed for a direction to the chief minister and BJP state president K S Eshwarappa to compensate for the loss.

The BJP had given a call for a bundh on Saturday following the governor’s sanction to prosecute the chief minister.  However, Yeddyurappa, while interacting with journalists here on Monday, claimed the BJP never gave a call for bundh and the public, angered by the governor’s move, voluntarily observed the strike.

The high court, on Monday, admitted an interlocutory application (IA) on a writ petition seeking damage worth

Rs 5,000 crore for the bundh called by the BJP. Notices were issued to the respondents including Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa and the director general of police.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice A S Bopanna directed the high court Registry to bunch all the cases related to the bundh, so that they could be taken up together.

The petitioner, B Bopanna, has prayed for a direction to Yeddyurappa,  Eshwarappa and the BJP to deposit damage to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore and deposit the amount with the state government. The matter has been adjourned to February 21 next.

The petition states that essential services such as hospitals and milk supply were seriously affected and caused inconvenience to the general public. Further colleges were closed and examinations were postponed causing mental agony and hardship to the students and parents.

Bus services also did not operate throughout the state causing hardship to the people. The petitioner claimed that the state exchequer had to suffer a financial loss amounting to hundreds of crores just on the account of non plying of KSRTC and BMTC buses.

The petitioner contended that losses sustained by transporters, loss in trading in agricultural produce markets, trade centres and other segments could roughly amount to Rs 5000 crore. The earlier writ petition had sought directions from the High Court to restrain the call for strike on January 22, 2010 or any other date in the interest of justice and equity.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been filed against BJP leader Eshwarappa by an advocate Dharmapal Gowda for making provocative speeches, abetting the public to indulge in a bundh and further abetting his party workers to commit offenses punishable under the IPC.

The complainant submitted that due to the accused’s call for a bundh, party workers and the public forcibly closed down shops, blocked roads, trains, looted shops, threw stones and set fire to BMTC and KSRTC buses and assaulted people.

The complainant also submitted that the postponement of exams caused mental trauma to the students and sought to hold Eshwarappa alone reponsible for the mess.