Kalasa-Banduri protest turns violent, two buses torched

Protesters indulge in stone-throwing

 The agitation demanding Kalasa-Banduri nala and Mahadayi projects turned violent on Monday with protestors throwing stones on buses in Navalgund and Nargund.

The protesters said that the all-party delegation which met the prime minister in New Delhi had been unsuccessful in getting an assurance from the Centre on implementation of the project. They threw stones on the Navalgund bus stand building and damaged window panes and tubelights.

The protesters torched two buses in Yamanur village of Navalgund taluk.
They said that BJP State president Pralhad Joshi had failed in convincing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the need for these water projects and that he will not be allowed to step into his constituency without tendering resignation.

In Nargund town of Gadag district, the peaceful dharna by the agitators turned violent in the evening with farmers forcing closure of shops and commercial establishments.  Earlier, they blocked movement of vehicles on  Hubballi-Vijayapura National Highway.

In Hubballi, farmers took out a padayatra from Kittur Chennamma Circle to Jubilee Circle in Dharwad and blocked the road for about four hours.  The farmers from surrounding villages staged a rasta roko by placing barbed fences in the middle of the road.

The movement of vehicles on Dharwad-Navalgund road was affected for more than three hours due to the stir. Vehicles did not ply on the Hubballi-Lakshmeshwar route till evening.