Bandh peaceful in Bengaluru; Central Business District affected, APMC yards shut; clashes, biz hit in some districts
BENGALURU: Tuesday’s Bharat Bandh did not have a major impact on normal life in Bengaluru, but farmers — estimated to be around 10,000 from several organizations — took out rallies and held demonstrations at Town Hall and Mysore Bank Circle, affecting traffic across the Central Business District of the state capital. The protesters blocked Sheshadri Road, Town Hall and Mysuru Bank Circle, shouting slogans against the Central government for enacting the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.
While larger vegetable markets and the APMC yards remained shut in response to the bandh call, Bengaluru remained normal with shops and commercial establishments open in most parts of the city.
KSRTC, BMTC and taxi services operated as usual around Majestic, Shanthinagar and Satellite bus stop on Mysuru road. While autorickshaws too plied, they were seen in much reduced numbers than otherwise.
The police said no farmers were taken into preventive custody as the bandh remained peaceful in the city, and the authorities had made prior arrangements to allow demonstrations and protests only in specific areas like Freedom Park, Town Hall and Mysore Bank Circle, and had diverted traffic accordingly for the purpose. However, that did not stop the protesters from blocking traffic on Sheshadri Road and the approach roads to Town Hall, which caused traffic congestion in the Central Business District.
Youth Congress members were seen approaching shop owners, especially in Shanthinagar area, appealing to them to down their shutters to express their solidarity with the farmers.Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President DK Shivakumar walked with the farmers to extend his support and told the protesters that the Congress party would always stand with the farmers.
Around 5,000 to 10,000 farmers are likely to converge on Bengaluru on Wednesday morning to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha, even as the winter session of state legislature is on since Monday. Traffic may be affected at KR Circle, Mysuru Bank Circle and Sheshadri Road, as farmers plan to surround Vidhana Soudha after the rally begins from Freedom Park.
Madikeri: Karnataka Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene members on Tuesday hosted a protest rally at Thimmaiah Circle in Madikeri. The rally, however, was denied permission by the Madikeri Town police. A minor rift broke out between the protesting farmers and the policemen, as the latter barred the farmers from creating a human chain. The situation was, however, resolved after the farmers agreed to the cops’ request to not block roads.
