Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, Sep 11: “People of Udupi were tired of increase in prices and voluntarily responded for bandh. BJP activists forcing shopkeepers to open shops that were closed voluntarily made the situation go out of hand,” alleged district Congress. “There is no example of Congress inciting violence anytime. Bandh was called against increase in prices of petroleum products on national level. There was good support by citizens for it in the district.”

“When Congress activists were requesting for voluntary participation for bandh, a group of BJP activists intervening and assaulting Congress activists had ulterior motive. Lathi charge by police on Congress activists instead of dispersing BJP workers who had come to cause failure of bandh is condemnable.”

“In the past during Congress rule, BJP had called for protests and bandh. But Congress never chased them or tried to defeat bandh. BJP’s attitude of purposely chasing and defeating bandh is like writing a new chapter in the history of protests in the district.”

“Even though BJP leaders conspired to defeat bandh since the beginning, people made it a success,” said Congress district leaders Dinesh Putran, B Narasimha Murthy, Prakhyat Shetty, Bhasker Rao Kidiyoor, Kishan Hegde Kolkebail, Harish Kini, Udyavar Nagesh Kumar, Sathish Ameen Padukere, Janardhan Bhandarkar, Shekar G Kotian, Narayan Kunder, Yathish Kakera and Habib Ali in a press release.