BENGALURU: Traffic was thrown out of gear around Mourya Circle, Race Course Road, Corporations circle and Mekhri Circle on Saturday following Karnataka Bandh called by Pro-Kannada organisations. More than 5000 activists were taken into preventive custody by the city police.
Shops and commercial establishments were closed at Gandhinagar, Chickpet and Avenue road and the protesters blocked the road at Town Hall and Mysuru Bank Circle. The group from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike headed by Narayanagowda tried to protest in front of CM’s house on Kumarakrupa road and he was detained by the police. Narayanagowda began the rally from Gandinagar via Shivananda Circle. When they were heading CM house Krishna police bundled them in a BMTC bus.
The protesters in KR Puram allegedly pelted stones at a BMTC bus and the situation was tense for a while. Meanwhile, KSRTC and BMTC bus services were seen as usual around Majestic.
Speaking to the media, Varal Nagaraj said more than 20,000 Kannada activists have been taken to preventive custody when they were coming to the city to participate in the Bandh and police who came in mufti forced them to return their house and most of them were detained at early morning. The Chief Minister is behind all this and he is using the police force to destroy the protest. He is also an agent of other states and has no concern about Kannada and he is a betrayer.
“We never stop protesting until CM has to give his resignation and we have called a meeting on Wednesday to campaign Jail bharo agitation against the CM’s decision of Maratha Development Authority (MDA)”, Nagaraj added.
