Karnataka bandh by pro-Kannada groups peaceful under tight security

Bengaluru: The dawn-to-dusk statewide bandh called by pro-Kannada groups to protest the alleged assault on a state-run bus conductor in Belagavi last month for not knowing Marathi passed off peacefully on Saturday.

There were no untoward incidents as police made elaborate arrangements to prevent any disruption of law and order during the shutdown.

Ahead of the bandh, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara appealed to people to protest peacefully, warning that any attempt to disturb law and order or resort to vandalism would be dealt with an iron hand.

In several parts of the state, pro-Kannada groups took to the streets, staging protests and urging shopkeepers to support the bandh. However, most shops remained open as usual.

In Bengaluru, activists gathered at Mysore Bank Circle, raising slogans and holding placards.

Some demonstrators staged a protest at the BMTC and KSRTC bus stands in Majestic, urging bus drivers and conductors to support the bandh. As their agitation intensified, police took them into preventive custody.

Leading the agitation, Kannada Chalavali (Vatal Paksha) convener Vatal Nagaraj staged a demonstration at Majestic.

He termed the bandh a "success", claiming that bus stands were deserted, many shopkeepers had shut their shops, and several autorickshaw drivers stayed off the roads.

Nagaraj stated that he had explained to both the government and the people why his organisation had called for the bandh.

He further claimed that over 3,000 Kannada activists were taken into preventive custody on Friday night itself.

Nagaraj was also detained as he began his protest at Town Hall, accompanied by Kannada filmmaker Sa Ra Govindu.

In Mysuru, some pro-Kannada activists staged a sit-in protest, blocking buses at the suburban bus stand. They staged a dharna near the exit gate to prevent buses from leaving for Bengaluru and other parts of the state.

Some pro-Kannada activists were taken into preventive custody after they attempted to stop a KSRTC bus in Mysuru.

Similar protests took place in Davangere, where demonstrators took to the streets.

Sources in Belagavi said KSRTC buses were operating as usual, but the movement of buses from Maharashtra to this border town in north Karnataka was restricted, as it remained at the center of the linguistic row.

Besides the attack on a bus conductor in Balekundri, Panchayat officials in Kinaye village, Belagavi, were recently abused for not speaking Marathi.

Located on the Maharashtra border, Belagavi has a substantial Marathi-speaking population, and the border dispute flares up from time to time.

The accused in both incidents have been taken into custody.

Elaborate security arrangements were in place across the state, with senior officers monitoring the situation on the ground to prevent any untoward incidents.

According to officials, police in various districts deployed home guards along with City Armed Reserve units as a precautionary measure to ensure that the bandh remained peaceful and did not cause inconvenience to the public.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda warned of legal action against anyone found coercing people into participating in the bandh.

He stated that 60 Karnataka State Reserve Police platoons, 1,200 home guards, and the entire civil and traffic police force were deployed in Bengaluru as a precaution.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged people to maintain peace and follow the law.

"We will protect the interests of the state. Everyone should maintain peace and abide by the law. However, I feel there is no need for a bandh," he told reporters on Friday.

According to Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G, no holiday was declared for schools and colleges.

On February 28, Kannada Okkuta, an umbrella organisation representing various pro-Kannada groups, announced the statewide bandh from 6 am to 6 pm on March 22.

State-owned public transport corporations such as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) largely remained operational.

According to sources, some autorickshaw, cab, and private transport unions extended support to the bandh, while others, including hotel associations, malls, bars, and restaurants, chose to stay away, offering only "moral support." Meanwhile, essential services—including pharmacies, hospitals, ambulances, petrol pumps, and metro services—continued to operate amid the bandh.