Protests, Tipu Jayanti hold up city traffic

Traffic was affected in the central business district areas in the city following protest rally by thousands of government employees and Tipu Jayanti celebrations on Friday.

Traffic had come to a halt on Palace Road, CID Junction, Race Course Road, Basaveswara Circle, Raj Bhavan Road Mehkri Circle, Ballari Road and adjacent roads.

The protesters were demanding the government to implement the Supreme Court's order passed on February 9 this year on a reservation in promotions. They started their rally at the Freedom Park. M Nagaraj, the president of Ahimsa (Kannada acronym for a forum of government employees belonging to minorities, backward classes and general categories), flagged off the rally.

Keshavamurthy, an employee from Arasikere, said that the state government should have provided only 15% reservation for Scheduled Castes and 3% to Scheduled Tribes for promotions.

Meanwhile, traffic between the GPO Circle and KR Circle on Dr Ambedkar Veedhi was disrupted on Friday evening as people from across the city thronged near Vidhana Soudha to take part in the Tipu Jayanti. They parked their two-wheelers on the footpath and even on the middle of the road causing a huge traffic snarl in the area. The police were unable to control the crowd. Bikers were riding triple without helmets and holding flags and shouting slogans though there was a ban.