Mangalore: State-wide Bandh Call Evokes Total Response in City

Pics by Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Jan 22: The state BJP has given a call for bandh on Saturday January 22, in protest against the historic move by Karnataka Governor, H R Bhardwaj, in giving clearance to two advocates to file suit against the Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa, in respect of various allegations including nepotism and land scam, levelled against the latter. The timing of the Governor’s move, which was expected since the last some days, took the state BJP by surprise, as it thought that the decision might come by the middle of next week.

A livid state BJP president, K S Eshwarappa, lost no time in announcing that the party has decided to give a call for state bandh on Saturday. In the meanwhile, primary and secondary education minister, Vishweswhar Hegde Kageri, said that the officials of the department have been instructed to take a decision depending on local situations.

In both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, district units of the BJP have supported the bandh call. Dakshina Kannada district BJP president, Padmanabha Kottary, city unit president, Srikar Prabhu, and Udupi district BJP president, K Udayakumar Shetty, have requested the people to voluntarily observe bandh against the Governor’s unilateral decision today. They have said that vehicles carrying milk, food items, medicines, vehicles of hospitals, and those connected with auspicious functions, will be exempt from the bandh call.

In both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, schools and high schools will remain closed today. While Dakshina Kannada deputy director of public instructions, Chame Gowda, issued this order, additional deputy commissioner, Prabhakar, declared holiday in Udupi district.

Superintendents of police of the twin-districts have said that they do not expect any untoward incidents to happen, as this is a voluntary bandh. However, they said, patrolling and security is being beefed to face any eventuality. Contingents of policemen have been deployed at strategic places all over the city and elsewhere in the two districts.

President of City Bus Owners Association and  secretary of Canara Bus Owners Association, Bhaskar Salian, said that buses will move as usual in both the districts. Udupi district Merchants Association president, Sahanasheela Pai, said that the merchants in the district will be extending wholehearted support for the bandh call, as the Governor has not acted impartially, as expected of him.

The programmes of the minister, V S Acharya in Udupi for today, stand cancelled.

The city is wearing a deserted look since today morning, as buses and auto rickshaws have gone off the road, in spite of what the association of bus owners claimed. Only a handful of buses including some KSRTC buses, were seen moving around the city, which were woefully inadequate, considering large crowds seen waiting at various bus stops. People are also seen walking to their destinations, and those who arrived from different  cities late through night buses, were seen struggling to reach their destinations with heavy luggage, as the number of auto rickshaws plying in the city, is also very meagre.