The bandh call over the Kalasa Banduri Nala Project received an overwhelming response in Hubballi-Dharwad and a good response the remaining towns of Dharwad district, Haveri, Gadag and Belagavi districts on Saturday.
Buses, auto rickshaws, maxi cabs and other modes of transport remained off the roads and junctions and arterial remaining blocked by protestors from different organisations in Hubballi.
The bandh was peaceful with protesters limiting their protest to burning of old tyres and taking out protest marches in the city. In Hubballi, members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike stopped the Haripriya Express for few minutes before they were evicted from the railway tracks by the railway police.
At Unakal and Bhairidevarakoppa in Hubballi, residents blocked the Hubballi-Dharwad main road with branches and stones. Farmers from Gabbur performed ‘deed namaskar’ (paying obeisance by prostrating) from Gabbur Cross to Kittur Chennamma as part of the protest. KSRTC bus stations across the district wore a deserted look. In most of the cities and towns, shopkeepers and hoteliers had downed shutters voluntarily.
In both Gadag and Haveri districts, protests were held. Members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike conducted mock funeral of the Chief Ministers of Goa and Karnataka and Prime Minister in Haveri.
In Gadag district, the bandh call received good response in all the taluks except in the towns of Mundaragi, Laxmeshwar and Mulagund where it was a mixed response, while in Haveri district, all the taluks responded to the bandh call and normal life was affected due to lack of public transport.
The people’s response to the bandh call in Belagavi district was good in all taluks, barring Khanapur town. A symbolic ‘rail roko’ was staged in Gadag.
It was a mixed reaction in Vijaypura and Bagalkot districts, where shops and business establishments remained closed only during the protest marches and demonstrations and subsequently operated normally.
