The bandh call given by various organisations demanding a CBI probe into the death of Deputy Superintendent of Police M.K. Ganapathy elicited a good response in Kodagu on Thursday.
Though demonstrations seeking action against Minister for Bengaluru Development K.J. George and two IPS officers A.M. Prasad and Pronab Mohanty were held in different parts of the district by pro-BJP groups, the bandh remained by and large peaceful. Most shops and business establishments remained closed across the district while public transport came to a virtual halt as buses, autos and taxis did not ply.
Though there was no holiday for schools and colleges, the heads of the educational institutions sent back the students in the interest of their safety. Government offices and banks remained open, but attendance was thin.
Entry blocked
Protestors blocked entry into Kodagu district by closing the highways at Shirangala, Kutta and Gonikoppa while road blockades were also staged at Somwarpet and Virajpet by placing logs of felled trees. Protestors also blocked the road in Kushalnagar by making a bonfire of used tyres.
Mysuru Lok Sabha MP Pratap Simha participated in a demonstration in Kushalnagar. Promising to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha, he said the 'struggle' will continue till justice is delivered to the family of Ganapathy.
In Madikeri, BJP’s Kodagu unit President Manu Muthappa led a demonstration at Thimmaiah Circle, where they blocked the road and staged a mock funeral of the Congress government in the State. The protestors also burnt effigies of Mr. George.
Meanwhile, BJP’s women’s wing leader Shilpa Ganesh, who is also the wife of Kannada actor Ganesh, called on Pavana, widow of Ganapathy, at her residence in Rangasamudra, and promised to continue their support to her till justice was served.
