The Karnataka bandh, as a protest against the recent farm bills passed by State and union governments, has so far been peaceful on Monday and has got a mixed response in Bengaluru.
While public transport has been running normally, traffic has been low. Shops and other commercial establishments are sparsely open. The hotels association has not supported the bandh call, drawing the ire of protesters.
Farmers and Kannada organisations have been holding protests against the State and union governments at multiple locations in the city on Monday. Farmers have blocked Outer Ring Road (ORR) at Sumanahalli Junction and have begun a bike rally towards Town Hall, where several protesters are expected to congregate at around 11.30 a.m. Several other farmer activists have held rasta roko protests at several national highways across the city. Farmers held mock death processions of farmers to protest the farm bills.
City police commissioner Kamal Pant said the bandh was peaceful in the city and hoped there would be no untoward incident. "There were a few stray incidents where protestors had tried to forcefully close down shops and stop buses and trains. They have been taken into preventive custody," he said.
View of Bellary Road in Bengaluru on the day of the Karnataka bandh, September 28, 2020
Meanwhile, activists from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, led by Narayana Gowda, were arrested by cops when they tried to block trains at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Central Railway Station.
