JOIN USBandh total, peaceful in Bengaluru
The bandh call given by pro-Kannada organisations to protest the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal order evoked a mixed response across the state.
Citizens, however, faced hardship, as both BMTC and Metro train services were suspended. The state road transport corporation did not ply its buses fearing attack by protesters, while BMRCL was forced to suspend its operations after a group of people in the guise of commuters entered a train and staged a protest.
With nearly 50% of cabs staying off the road and a few autorickshaws plying, inbound and outbound passengers had a tough time reaching their destinations. Some protesters also tried to barge into the Kempegowda International Airport and Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station in Majestic. Security personnel, however, thwarted their efforts and ensured that train and air services were not affected. The agitators were detained and released after 6 pm.
Shops and commercial establishments, hotels and restaurants remained shut in the central business district. Many people stayed indoors as malls, cinemas and fuel stations were closed till evening.
Essential services such as medical treatment, pharmacies and milk supply were unaffected. Patients, however, had a difficult time reaching hospitals in the absence of public transport. A large number of passengers had to wait at the railway and bus stations till the services resumed later in the day.
An estimated 5,000 people, including leading Kannada film actors like Shivarajkumar, participated in the procession from Town Hall to Freedom Park. Activists Vatal Nagaraj and S R Govindu and farmer leader Kodihalli Chandrashekhar addressed the procession demanding the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the water dispute between Karnataka and Goa. They urged the MPs from Karnataka to raise the matter in Parliament.
Vehicular movement on the busy Ballari Road was affected for a while as Nagaraj took out a procession of about 3,000 people. Vehicles piled up between Windsor Manor bridge and Chalukya Circle. The police had made elaborate security arrangements. Additional personnel were deployed at all metro stations, the international airport, the central bus stand and railway stations.