‘Bandh’: Police put their foot down

Schools, colleges open, bus services to be normal

May 28, 2018 12:42 am | Updated 04:58 pm IST - Bengaluru

The BJP’s appeal to farmers and the public to “voluntarily observe a bandh” across the State on Monday demanding farm loan waiver from the new government is unlikely to have an impact on normal life.

No holiday has been declared for schools and colleges, while Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation officials said bus services will be normal, and any other decision will be taken depending on the situation. The State police, on Sunday, deemed the bandh call “illegal” and said they will not allow disruption of any services on Monday.

Kamal Pant, ADGP, Law and Order, Karnataka, said security measures were in place to prevent any untoward incident.

“Calling for a bandh is illegal and if anybody tries to enforce a bandh, they will have to face its repercussions. We will not allow disruption of services or any forceful closure of businesses in the State,” he said.

In a flip-flop on the proposed ‘Karnataka bandh’, N. Ravi Kumar, general secretary, BJP, on Sunday, called on farmers and the public to observe a bandh “voluntarily” on Monday.

On Saturday, BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa had said the BJP had not called for a bandh, but was only supporting a call given by farmers. However, no farmers’ union had given a bandh call. Mr. Yeddyurappa’s stand on Saturday was also a u-turn from his statement on the floor of the House on Friday, where he called for a Karnataka bandh on Monday.

Sources in BJP said that the party had to call for a voluntary bandh, as backtracking on it would send a wrong signal to farmers. BJP sources said the party will hold protest rallies in a decentralised way across the State and the district units of the party will oversee the arrangements. Mr. Yeddyurappa was in New Delhi on Sunday and it was unclear as to where he will lead the protests on Monday.

On the other hand, police sources said permission for protest rallies in Bengaluru was unlikely to be given, as elections for the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency will be held on Monday.

The BJP too has also excluded Bengaluru from the bandh call.

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