Bandh: KRV members stage protest in Udupi, arrested

Normal life was not affected despite the Karnataka bandh call given by several pro-Kannada organisations in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts on Monday.

The organisations had given a call for the bandh seeking implementation of irrigation projects and other their demands.

Private buses operated as usual while transactions were were not affected by the bandh call.

Karnataka Rakshana Vedike members staged a protest in front of the service bus station in Udupi. The police arrested the protesters when they tried to block the road.

The protesters urged the government to implement a permanent irrigation project for arid districts. Mekedatu project should be taken up immediately. The mischievous acts by MES activists in Belagavi should be controlled by arresting them under the Goonda Act. The Kerala government should withdraw its decision of making Malayalam language mandatory as an additional language from Class I from the new academic year, they demanded.  

Forum president Ansar Ahmed said Mahadayi project should be implemented to meet the long-pending demand of people. If the demands of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike are not met, the protest will be intensified. The district administration should start sand allocation as thousands of people are troubled as sand is not available for building houses, he said.

He warned of staging protest in front of the district in-charge minister and the deputy commissioner if the sand problem is not solved within a month.

Forum state convener Prasanna Kumar Shetty condemned the imposition of Malayalam in Kasargod, by the Kerala government. Protests will be intensified  if the Kerala government does not change its stand, he said.

The bandh call did not evoke any response in Dakshina Kannada as well. All the private and KSRTC buses operated as usual.