Kolar, Chikkaballapur bundh total

BJP, JD(S) and Left parties demanded immediate roll back of hike in fuel prices

Processions, sloganeering against the UPA government, protests, bike rallies marked the bundh in Kolar. Life was thrown out of gear as there was no movement of both government and private buses. Except for shops selling milk, pharmacy and hospitals all the activities had come to a grinding halt.

Even though, the CPI(M), JD(S) and other organisations took part in the bundh together , the BJP activists observed the bundh separately.

Activists of the CPI(M), JD(S), DYFI, JD(S), Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS), DSS, Indian National League, CITU and other organisations held processions in Srinivaspur Circle, Mekke Circle, Government College Circle, M G Road and other main roads in the City since 7 am in the morning. Shop owners had voluntarily shut shop in response to the bundh call. In a few instances activists directed shop onwers to down the shutters.

Activists who led the procession to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and district court complex through the main roads directed the officials to support the bundh by closing   offices.

Separate procession

The BJP observed the bundh by holding a separate bike rally in the City. Party activists  staged   protests in front of the City bus stand and several other places and deflated tyres of autorickshaws that were plying in the area.

Teachers were confused over the declaration of holiday on Monday, as the taluk BEOs  did not communicate the information to the deputy director, who had the powers to declare holiday in the wake of the bundh call.

Eventhough, there was no definite direction from the State government to close the schools, several schools in the City remained closed as both the teachers and students could not arrive due to lack of bus facility. However, holiday was declared only for colleges.

Superintendent of Police K Thyagarajan had deployed reserve police at sensitive areas in the City.  “The BJP government in the State which hiked bus fare in response to the rise in fuel prices by the Union government does not have a moral right to protest against the UPA government,” observed the CPI (M), Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane and  the JD(S) activists. The State government which has participated in the bundh should immediately roll back hike in bus fares,  urged activists of various parties and organisations.

Chikkaballapur

Expressing solidarity with the bundh various political parties and organistaions in Chikkaballapur demanded immediate withdrawal of price hike.

Activists also staged rasta roko and rail roko in the wake of the bundh call.
“The Union government which has been reposnsible for price hike should be receptive to trials and tribulations of the common man,” said CPI (M) leader Munikrishna.

Hike in petroleum products would naturally lead to a rise in   prices of essential commodities rendering the life of the common man vulnerable, explained activists.

DYFI activists observed that the hike in bus fare and monthy bus pass has proved to be a burden on students community and the public.

Owing to the bundh there was a drastic decline in the number of patients at the district hospital.

Two injured

In Srinivasapur, the bundh was largely successful and peacceful barring a few stray incidents of violence.

Two volunteers were injured when an employee of an engineering works centre assaulted them with an iron rod. The injured were part of a group  of volunteers from different organisations, led by CPI(M), entrusted with the job of making sure that all shops were closed.

District president of Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha P R Suryanarayana and president of District Anganwadi Workers’ Association were injured in the incident.

Timely intervention by the police helped bring the situation under control and Venkatarama Reddy was taken into custody for assaulting the two.

Volunteers, who were to take part in the bundh, staged a protest in front of the police station criticising the incident and demanding the police to take strict action against the assaulter.

Vehicle damaged

A few miscreants damaged a two-wheeler belonging to a hostel warden, who was buying vegetables at a market in Chintamani. Except this stray incident of violence the bundh was  largely peaceful in the taluk.