Tyres and effigies — symbolising the BJP-led UPA government at the Centre, the Congress government in the State, the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal, and the MPs and legislators of the State were set on fire at major road junctions, the central bus station and the National Highway on the second day of the protest over the Mahadayi row in Belagavi on Thursday.
Groups of farmers, various Kannada and social organisations staged angry protests at various points as part of their Belagavi Bandh, which however, evoked mixed response, even as a group of farmers forced the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation to suspend bus services, mainly from Belagavi to Hubballi-Dharwad, Bengaluru, Saundatti, Ramdurg and Bailhongal towns.
A small group of farmers and Kannada activists were picked up by the police when they were forcing shop-keepers to close their stalls. Another group led by the former Union Minister Babagouda Patil, organised rasta roko agitation between Kittur and Hirebagewadi section on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway 4. Protests were also held in Saundatti, Ramdurg, Bailhongal, Chikkodi towns of the district.
Owing to confusion on bandh calls given by various organisations on two separate days, attendance in some schools was nil-to-thin. While some of the commercial establishments in Khade Bazaar and adjoining areas remained closed for a short duration and reopened for normal business later, many government offices and banks witnessed less than the normal visitors during the day.
Meeting
Later in the afternoon, the leaders of various farmers association held a meeting and decided to convene a meeting of prominent leaders associated with the Mahadayi struggle in the nine taluks of the four districts of Belagavi, Bagalkot, Gadag and Hubballi-Dharwad here on Sunday at 10 a.m. to take a concrete and unanimous decision on the future course of agitation. The leaders also criticised the advocates representing the State for their failure to protect the interests of the State.
