Roads turn into cricket grounds

With desolate roads and deserted streets, youths in Bangalore's western parts enjoyed their favourite game - cricket in gullies. Although cricket did dominate their choice of sport, football, volleyball and badminton too found many takers. The usually busy roads like Marenahalli, RPC Layout, Kamalanagar, Sunkadakatte, Nagarbhavi, Subbanna Garden, Shivanalli and ESI Hospital in Rajajinagar were converted into grounds.

For several youngsters, the bundh provided an insight into their childhood days when playing the gentleman's game with tennis ball. It helped them relive the ‘golden days’, as a teenager put it.  Many of them also chose the occasion to reignite their pursuit for hitting the ball freely without any obstacles. “We need not fear that the ball would damage the shops as most of the shops had downed their shutters,” they defended. Betting also surfaced during the game.

And the proceeds would fund a party in the night, they quipped.   

Bangalore West

The situation in the City's western areas was slightly tense during the 12-hour long “Bharat Bundh” as at least four BMTC buses plying on the roads were damaged when protestors pelted stones at them.

These incidents occurred in Byatarayanapura, Chandra Layout and Vijayanagar, said B Shivakumar, DCP (West).

According to him, three cases of damaging the public property were booked at the concerned police stations, but no one was arrested yet. "We are still working out the details of the offences," Shivakumar added. This apart, BJP workers stopped the Mysore-Chennai Shatabdi Express for about minutes at the City Railway Station demanding its cancellation.

"We provided only the bandobast at the railway station whereas the railway police looked after maintaining law and order at its premises," Shivakumar said.

Bangalore North

In north Bangalore, as many as 30 persons were taken into custody when they formed a human chain and blocked the road during a protest at Yeshwanthpur Circle.

According to HS Revanna, DCP (North), the protestors were delivering "speeches" exhorting people to shut their activities. They were also shouting slogans against the Union Government. We rounded them up and took them to the Yeshwanthpur police station where a case under Section 71 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 was slapped against them. Half an hour later, they were released on bail, Revanna added. Apart from this, no incident of stone-pelting was reported anywhere under his jurisdiction, he said.

Bangalore East

In Bangalore East, police had also taken ample security measures to ensure a peaceful bundh on Monday. “As the bundh was against the Central Government, we provided tight security to all the Central Government establishments in our division. Further, a close vigil was kept on bus stands and railway stations. Our officers were on routine rounds and the day went off peacefully,” said Chandra Shekar, DCP, East.

Bangalore South

Cops in South Division were on high alert as the area is known as ‘sensitive’ from communal point of view and extreme rowdism. “We had to pay special attention to sub-divisions like Banshankari and Jayanagar as anti-social elements are active there and such shutdowns provide them an opportunity to vanadalise public property.

Chamarajpet was a cause for concern from communal point of view. Apart from intense patrolling and picketing in certain places, our officers were on regular rounds from 6 am to 8 pm. Barring stone pelting incidents on BMTC buses in two places, everything was under control,” said Krishna Bhatt, DCP, South.

Bangalore South-East

The South-East Division of the city police had taken proper and elaborate security arrangements for Monday’s “Bharath Bundh”.

“We have all the top notch IT, BT companies under our division and keeping all those in mind, we left no stone unturned to tighten the security of those installations.”
“Places like Electronics City, the ITPL and Madivala were identified as sensitive zones and were put under proper bandobast. We had special pickets in those areas and our armed officers manned them.

The day passed off peacefully,” said BNS Reddy, DCP, South-East.

Bangalore Central

Apart from the arrest of an MP, 21 MLAs, three Corporators and scores of BJP activists at the Basaveshwar Circle, no untoward incident was reported in the City's central areas, says G Ramesh, DCP (Central).

Tight security arrangements were made at Garuda Mall, Bangalore Central, and other major shopping arcades. No incident of pelting stones on the buses or forcibly closing down of commercial establishments was reported, Ramesh added.